Demon's of Midgar
by Red Dog Krim
Summary: This tale is of betrayals, new love, and old love that transcends death. Sephiroth, a now fallen Demon Royal and Previous Court Advisor has been appointed the task of finding a new Demon Lord of Midgar's Central Gate. Has his search finally ended with his bumping into of a small blonde 16 year old demon slum kid? Could this young boy really be the one hes searched decades for?
1. Portal Chapter (not a Prologue)

Note: This is a brief storylike rundown of prior events to the story I'm going to be starting soon. Hopefully it will gain some interest… who knows, More notes at the bottom... please read them at the end.

Also, the name of the story seems off to me but it's what I came up with. If you have a better suggestion I'm open to them.

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Story Name: Demon Lords of Midgar

Chapter: Portal Chapter

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**_This is a tale of betrayals, of new love, and of old love that transcends even death. _**

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As Salt filled winds blow in from the northern, Eastern, and Southern Oceans they cross into the many lands of Humans on the Planet Gaia's single enormous continent. Human's, being the short lived, fical, and greedy creatures that they are; constantly war amongst themselves for dominance over these lands. Kingdoms rise and Kingdoms fall, Empires are established and crumble away into the forgotten sands of time.

For thousands of years like a multitude of storms these human Kingdoms and Empires have crashed into the large walls and gates of a solitary and unified Demon Kingdom to the west at 'The Edge of The World'. The Demon races who are ruled by the wise and long living winged race are content with their 1/3 of the continent and thus prosper.

However, like a poison, ambition spares not those even of Demon Royal blood. And so our tale begins with betrayal, greed, and covetous desire behind high and seemingly impenetrable walls half a century prior to this date.

The High Kings third concubine had a son, and thus held sway in the older Wingly's heart. The Demon Princess Aria whose birth, placed her as first heir to the throne was exiled from the capital to the Central Gate bordering human lands. The High court was thrown into an uproar for over a decade as the Princess lived in this military fortification far from the capital and those who wished to place her in her rightful seat.

Though the faction lead by the Silver Haired and Midnight winged Royal Advisor Sephiroth fought valiantly their plots were continuously foiled by the Prince faction. Seeing that her son would never truly hold any sway so long as the Princess faction held any ground, the Concubine hatched a plot so cunning it may as well have been a humans.

The Central gate for as far back as their histories dated had always fallen under the heaviest of onslaughts by Human hands. As such their greatest champion had always held the gate and commanded the armies of the Central Guard. This current champion's name, was Tehranoa, and though his birth of low station forbid it, love blossomed slowly into his heart for the Demon Princess Aria.

With Knowledge gained by darker means the Concubine tried time and again to drive a wedge between Tehranoa and Aria. Her repeated failures finally caught the eyes of a human spy who pitched to her his plan that would finally rid both parties of an annoyance long in their way.

The Human Empire of Argos had held sway in their lands for over five centuries and grew stronger by the decade. However, as with all before them, no army launched at the Central gate could hope to breach its walls.

The Demon Lord Tehranoa rode out into battle to perform his duty as defender of Midgar. His opponent, an army the likes of which had never been seen amassed in the history of Gaia. He fought on for day's unknowning of the treachery being performed and plots soon to come to fruition. When the Lord of the Central gate's army was finally surrounded outside the walls and too far to be of any assistance, a trap was sprung. The enormous Central Gates opened up and allowed the human army to pour into Midgar the land of Demons.

Tehranoa watched from afar in fear as fires broke out behind the large walls he was tasked with defending. Rallying his troops they fought tooth and nail back to the gates. Upon arrival fear became dread, hope became despair as he and his men fought to take back the then decimated city. By the time he reached the small winter palace the princess resided in it was already aflame by human hands.

Uncaring for his own Safety Tehranoa ran into the flaming structure in search of the woman he loved but could never have. The scene that awaited him drove the Demon lord mad. His Princess's body lay beaten, broken, and ravaged by the human invaders.

The rage of the Central Gates Demon Lord knew no bounds as his retaliation upon the human army would go down in history on both sides as both brutal and bloody.

Not more than ten days after the human army was dispersed by his hands Demon Lord of the Central Gate Tehranoa, vanished without a trace. Once the Princess's assassination was made known, the Demon people retaliated viciously; sowing chaos throughout the Human's Argos Empire until it collapsed a decade later.

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Nearly fifty years have passed since the death of Princess Aria and the disappearance of The Demon Lord and soon after Legendary Champion Tehranoa.

Sephiroth, a now fallen Demon Royal and Previous High Court Advisor has been appointed the task of finding a new Demon Lord of the Central Gate. His long quest has taken him across the empire in search of a Demon whose power or future power might rival that of its previous Lord. From the Snow covered lands and icy villages in the southern provinces, to the Northern woodlands full of rain and normally dreary weather, and on to the western provinces whose oriental style is said to hold a replica in Human lands. He searched, and searched, and searched.

His most recent stop is the great central eastern desert a week's ride from the Central Gate itself. Upon entering the large town he is greeted by a strangely familiar and strong power. Has his search finally ended with his bumping into of a small blonde sixteen year old demon slum kid? Is this young boy whose power seems to be held back by an invisible wall the future lord of the Central Gate?

That… is for the tale yet untold, should the desire to hear more have blossomed in your chest; then I ask of you but one thing. Please show your interest in any way you see fit.

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_**Notes:**_

_**THE ABOVE WRITING IS NOT A PLOT SUMMARY. THE STORY STARTS WITH SEPHIROTH FINDING THE BLONDE KID!**_ (Bet you can't guess who he is... O.O)

Demon Races: Are like that of most fantasy so… Werewolves, Vampires, Wingly's are winged humans (like angels though they don't have to have white wings), neko's, Mermaids etc.

The Whole cast of FFVII and Crisis core will make an appearance… No AC or DoC specific ones will; except maybe as a passing reference.

As it stands **there is Shounen Ai present**, but it's not a central theme... it's complicated and will reveal plot points if I went into detail. You would have to read to find out the couples. And who or WHAT everyone is… o.o (you already know what Sephiroth is… if you were paying any attention)

There is no yaoi nor will there be 'lemon scenes'. There may be spoken of or implied scenes, but I will never write them out or go into any real detail.


	2. Prologue (this is a prologue)

**_AN1: _**Yes… there are two Authors notes… DON'T JUDGE ME!

I decided to stick to only one person's POV for this chapter rather than skip around a bit like I will in other chapters. It may start off a BIT slow, but as chapter progress you will be introduced to all of your favorite characters (AC and DOC excluded CAMEO's are possible though).

Please enjoy, and note that the Updates are going to be sporadic until I finish that SW Fanfic… three more chapters.

Unlike with other stories I put out, this one will have reviews replied to by PM… Exceptions can be made, such as a reply to a question I would like to explain to multiple people or all the readers.

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**_Disclaimer:_** I do not own Final Fantasy… This chapter is sandy…

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**_Reviewers: _Please note that I am open to ANY FORM of review! Criticism is highly appreciated. Cookies and cake are… accepted. **

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**Prologue**

**The Desert's Hidden Gem**

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A midday sun shone down on the medium sized city of Allovoros like a heat lamp inside of an already blazing oven. Along with the heat came a baking breeze that for travelers seemed to make things worse rather than better. With every new gust small hot grains of sand would kick up into the air then scatter into any nook or cranny they could find. It was just a normal autumn day in the small city of Allovoros. The city's inhabitants ran about their daily errands, sold their wares, and in all sense of the words carried themselves such as nothing was amiss.

After all, there was nothing amiss. This was a day such as any other before it, and would be just like many after.

For one of the city's inhabitants, things had gone rough all morning. He was hot, tired, and most importantly… stumped. Sky blue eyes scanned his surroundings once more for any possible… charity being given out. The small city had more than enough to spare should a demon know where to look, and Cloud Strife was one such demon. His favorite picking spots had those pesky falcon eyes guards on heavy patrol today. Apparently they seemed to have picked up on the amount of time it took before he came back to each location. He DID try to mix it up, but one could only go so long before he was forced to pick from the same place again.

Another "chh," escaped the small blonde demon's lips as he slumped against a wall then slid to the ground. What was he going to do? He couldn't go back home empty handed for a third day. Maybe he could see if the girls at the local brothel had some hand outs. It wasn't their 'busy time' right now, and thus his best bet; he'd already staked the trade square out for too long.

A few more minutes of contemplation and a sigh later Cloud was pushing himself back to his feet. A quick dusting of his dark blue Sarouel Trousers and small vest then he was on his way. The girls didn't like it when he showed up TOO dirty. It wasn't like he really had the luxury of a bath. In Allovoros Such things were reserved for the nobility or rich traders. To his great shame he had been bathed once when he went to the brothels for food. The girls there had all but forced him into a bath while saying something about wanting to see 'how the gem looked when polished'. His brother Aon still hadn't let him live it down to this day.

Slowly Cloud stepped out from under his small shaded area and into the blazing sun. What greeted him was an odd sight that he had somehow missed just minutes ago. Walking slowly through the trade square and glancing around every few moments was a tall silver haired man dressed in all black. The only part other than his silver hair that showed was pale skin surrounding jade eyes.

If the silver haired man's clothing was anything to go by… which it always was if you knew what to look for like Cloud did, then this man was a noble. The black chocobo he led around seemed well stocked with supplies as well. A travelling noble Cloud had never seen, with a fully loaded black chocobo, in a crowded area, and seemed to be lost. Aon always said, _'Travelers are easy pickings.'_ And that they were _'too stupid to know better in most cases'_.

Stealing from nobles always carried a lot of risks, but if you could snag a purse then get away it was always worth it. His plan in the end was as simple as it was obvious. Bump into the man, procure his purse, and then run for his life. Of course there were penalties for stealing, in the case of food or water you lost a hand. If it was money or some higher good you could lose your life, both hands, or a foot. That's why you couldn't get caught. You had to be fast to survive, and Cloud was fast.

Slowly he walked, weaved, and tried to make himself as invisible as possible by blending into the crowd. The man Cloud noted as he grew ever closer was HUGE; he had to stand at at least six foot five. His resolve wavered for but a moment before resolidifying. He was doing this, then he and Aon would eat more than well for a month.

Butterfly's erupted into Cloud's stomach as he rounded one more person then started running. It wasn't more than a few seconds and he slammed hard into the silver haired noble. As he fell backwards slightly dazed his mind thought that he must have mistaken a brick wall for a demon before he gazed up at the looming silver haired figure from his new position on the ground. Jade eyes glared down at him like he was… trash. They were eyes he had seen every day of his life, and though it usually didn't bug him… there was something else mixed in with the glare that made him feel bad about what he was doing. Pity… or perhaps contempt.

The purse was already in his pocket as Cloud slowly made his way back to his feet. "My apologies sir." He said as he bowed low, just the way nobles liked. Before the jade eyed figure was allowed to respond Cloud was already running around him like nothing had ever happened.

"Wait," the man's deep icy voice commanded as a large hand clamped down in his wrist and spun him around. Fear took the place of the recently fluttered away butterfly's. Its icy tendrils spread throughout his small pale frame as the man lifted him from his feet by his agonized wrist. The ease with which he did so only made the consuming force of icy fear all the stronger as his light blues were leveled off with those of Jade green.

Before he knew what was happening words were tumbling out of his mouth through pained voice. His wrist felt like it was breaking. "I'm… I'm Sorry Sir." The man's free hand reached into his pocket and slowly dug around until finally procuring his stolen property.

"I do believe that this is mine." The silver haired nobleman stated before his grip tightened once again. A cry forced its way between Cloud's lips as he started to struggle to escape. His free hand moved up hastily to try to pry the man's hand from his breaking wrist. "The penalty for theft is loss of one hand." The man finished as his grip tightened once again.

"Stop… Please!" Cloud said as his foot reached out and kicked at the man hoping to do anything to keep from what was coming. '**Stop it, Stop it, STOP IT!**' Cloud said over and over in his head before a scream erupted nearby.

The nobleman's hand loosened and Cloud plummeted to the ground. Tear edged sky blue eyes peered up at the black clad nobleman who was staring down at him ponderously. It was fear that held him, and fear that now drove him scrambling to his feet and dashing off through the gathered crowd of spectators. He wasn't sure what had happened, but he was thankful to whichever of the Five Guardian Gods had gotten him out of that situation.

**()()()()Transition()()()()()**

How many back alleys had he run down? How many passerby had he run into accidentally then scrambled away while being yelled at? Cloud… wasn't actually very sure, but here he was standing outside of the small hovel he called home panting like he'd just run a marathon. He… Couldn't even manage to step inside; he was too tired. So he collapsed there into the cool and shaded sand outside.

"Hey, Cloud, what's going on?" The familiar voice of Aon came from the small cloth they called a door. He seemed relaxed like nothing had happened at all just minutes before. The boy's clothes were much like Clouds own ragged blue ones, but his were dark red with golden trim.(both were stolen).

One of the boy's red fox ears twitched atop his head as his twin tails swayed behind him in a happy fashion. "Cloud?" He asked again this time his voice tinged with concern as his golden eyes took on a worried look. "What happened?"

Cloud held up his rather limp right hand which had already started to show signs of bruising. The kitsune dropped the clay bowl he had been holding and rushed over as Cloud found himself seeking the words that just weren't coming out. How could he possibly explain to Aon that he was nearly caught? No… that he was caught, and then saved by a slight coincidence.

He… he had to start from the beginning. "I was staking out the market square and found a good target." He began, but paused… he didn't want to know what Aon's reaction would be when he found out that he had targeted a nobleman. "I was… nearly caught… by a nobleman for lifting his purse." He finished while holding up his blackened wrist once more. It hurt like crazy every time he moved it in the least. Which meant he should stop doing so…

Anger crossed over Aon's face though it never managed pushed the worry off. "Guardian's damn it Cloud." Two clenched fists and the arms they were attached to reached around and pulled him into a tight hug. "I told you not to go after Nobles." The boy said near his ear.

"I'm sorry," he replied as the events finally managed to hit him full force and he was forced to fight back the tears which started to roll down his cheeks. He could have died… that could have been it for him. Aon would have been left alone in this town that hated them both.

"It's alright…" The kitsune stated warmly as he tightened the hug slightly. "You got away, and you're safe back home." After another few moments the boy pulled away and gripped Cloud's shoulders with both hands. Hair the color of a deep flame caught a single ray of light as he smiled reassuringly. "I got some food earlier. Let's eat alright?" his brother finished with a small ruffling of Cloud's golden brown hair. (dirt)

Cloud dried his eyes as best he could with his left wrist which wasn't covered in the ever present sand or the new found bruise like his right. "Alright." He said then nodded. Aon was the first to stand and offered one hand down to pull Cloud to his aching feet.

Without thinking enough he originally tried to lift his right hand to take the kitsune's outstretched one. The wince that followed got him a concerned statement, "after we wrap that."

Cloud could only nod grudgingly as he lifted his left hand this time and was pulled to his feet. Even the slight swinging motion caused by the sudden pull sent a sharp pain all the way up his arm. "Alright."

It wasn't more than a minute and Cloud was trying to get used to the dim light present in their small home. "Go sit on the bed." Aon stated and Cloud complied. The place was dingy compared to even poor people's standards.

In the 'far' back there was a single small bed… if the remaining wood and dirty cloth covered hay could be called that. A small low table sat just beside the 'bed'… it could barely sit the both of them together, and was more a pilfered piece of a broken stall than the table they had managed to make it. There to his right where Aon was sat a few mostly broken and almost unusable pots that they stored what few belonging they could manage to keep. The best of them held three days worth of water. It wasn't fun to fill the thing, as it took several trips with their much smaller and second best pot before it was to the allotted three days. Finally to his left was the remaining very small 'open' area that the two of them could barely lay in without bumping into each other… or something else in the room.

Slowly and trying his best not to move his right arm or hand; he moved the few steps it took to get to the bed and sat down. "ahh, here it is." Aon stated then straightened up and held a small dirty wound up cloth triumphantly.

Rather hastily the fire haired kitsune moved over to cloud then knelt down in front of him. After unwrapping the one time white cloth he gently took Cloud's wrist and stated, "This is going to hurt."

"I'm ready." Cloud stated, then wished to take it back as his brother slowly wrapped the cloth tightly around his injured wrist. It didn't take long… probably. Each time Aon moved the cloth in a full circle felt like an hour in Cloud's perspective.

When he was finally done the boy nodded and smiled up at him. "Alright… now let's eat!"

"What did you get?" Cloud asked weakly as he tried to flex the wrapped wrist, **'don't do that'** he noted mentally.

A wicked smirk crossed his brother's face as he replied. "You're favorite… Gysahl Greens and Carob nuts."

Cloud's nose wrinkled at the thought of eating the chocobo food, but at the same time… he was starving. Aon knew him well so he knew to expect the reply. "You stole from the Burning Sand's(an inn) Stables again didn't you?"

"Heh, easy pickings." The fire haired kitsune replied with a triumphant flick of his twin tails.

**()()()()Transition()()()()**

Clouds Stomach howled as the suns first rays shed small amounts of light in through the tattered blue cloth covered opening they called the doorway. Aon had tried to convince him that the foul smelling gysahl greens were still fresh… he was wrong of course.

The fire haired kitsune's arm was draped across Cloud who was pushed furthest to the wall on their small and cramped 'bed'. The small cloth they called a blanket barely covered the two of them, and as was most often the case Cloud would wind up with the majority covering him by morning. His Brother insisted that he was the eldest and thus had to sleep on the outside. Cloud had argued about this on multiple occasions… but never won. If the argument drug on too long Aon would go to sleep without anything to cover him in the small open area of their house… until Cloud eventually gave in(every time). Nights could be frigid, and having his brother huddled up near him was that much more of a warming comfort… even if he was stubborn as a bull demon.

"Cloud you up?" His brother asked as he shifted his weight slightly and bumped his forehead into the back of Clouds blonde haired own.

"Yeah." He replied and scooted further back into his brother's warmth. Aon's arm wrapped tighter around Cloud as he snuggled his head into his back.

"We need to fill the water today," came the kitsune's muffled voice. "You do that, and I'll find us something to eat that isn't half rotten."

A slight yawn escaped Cloud's mouth before he replied. "I told you." He said as his stomach growled out with hunger once more. In the end he hadn't taken too many bites of the greens… and the two of them had devoured all of the Carob nuts.

"Lies, I remember no such telling." His brother stated still groggy, but apparently awake enough to joke.

"Are we getting up?" Cloud asked as he fought back the urge to reply with another joke.

"Don't wanna." Aon said while wrapping his legs up in Clouds own… thus preventing either of them from getting out of bed.

"Come on… I'm hungry." Cloud stated as he pried Aon's arm from around him.

"Gahh! My cute sleeping brother where have you gone to? Come back and trade places with this early riser!" The kitsune asked and stated to the air as Cloud sat up tossing the blanket back onto the fire haired boy.

"Come on… Up!" Cloud half repeated then pushed the kitsune with one hand. For being two years his senior and thereby the older brother, Aon could certainly be… childish at times. One golden eye cracked open and peered around before closing again. "Up!" Cloud commanded as he untangled their legs then rolled over his brother to land neatly on the sandy floor.

"Right…" Aon stated and finally managed to sit up in bed though his eyes were still closed. "Ok… food..." A full hand covered yawn escaped the boy's lips before he finished with a stretch, "I'm on it."

Cloud merely nodded as the kitsune stood and scratched his side while making his way to the door. "Be back soon!" Aon stated before moving the cloth door aside and disappearing.

The smaller filling pot was easily found just beside their water pot. Though it would take six trips in all to fill the pot to the top it was at least not heavy enough to require the use of his injured right hand. It was however, rather far to the filling lake on the other side of the city.

A rush of cloth greeted his ears and he turned around perturbed by the fact that Aon would come back already. There was no way he had the food in such a short time… unless he went and retrieved the thrown out Gysahl greens at the end of the road. If they weren't good yesterday they weren't magically going to become so over the course of a single night.

"Aon Why…" Cloud began, but then trailed off when he saw the boy's ears twitching madly atop his head. That meant he was deep in thought… or anxious. In this case he could only assume it was both by the look upon his brother's face.

"Cloud, help me pull the bed out." The fire haired boy commanded in a tone that brooked no argument. Cloud leapt to the task after setting the filling pot down.

"What's going on?" He asked as they first moved the table.

"You're nobles headed this way. I managed to stall him for the moment, but you need to get out of here." The Kitsune stated rather angrily as he moved to the end of the bed. Cloud had told his brother about the nobleman's physical attributes sometime before they went to bed the night before. His brother had been worried about something, but made no comment. While Cloud hated to be left in the dark he knew that the kitsune would tell him when he was ready to.

As the bed slid slowly aside to reveal a dugout hole that allowed one to squeeze underneath the hovel and escape out the back; the sound of cloth moving greeted their ears once more. Aon leapt into action before Cloud could process what exactly was happening.

"CLOUD GO!" The boy stated as he stepped between the two of them.

"Stand aside fox," the silver haired noble stated through the cloth covering his face.

"Not a chance." His brother growled out. He really didn't feel good about leaving Aon behind so he was hesitating. He had thought that they would both make it before the man arrived. The fire haired boy's diversion must not have worked as well as he'd hoped. How had the man found them already? A stranger to the city shouldn't have been able to do something like that.

The jade eyed noble took a single step forward which prompted Aon to step back slightly. "Cloud, why haven't you left? Get out of here." The boy commanded angrily.

"But Aon-" Cloud replied then stopped as the silver haired man leapt forward like lightning and batted his brother aside with a single powerful stroke of his arm. A loud crash resounded throughout the small hovel as the kitsune slammed into their pottery which shattered. A weak yelp escaped the fire haired boy's lips as he went completely still. "AON!" Cloud cried out.

"He will wake up soon enough." The nobleman stated as he peered coldly down and into Cloud's darkening sky blue eyes. Anger seethed to a boiling point as his gaze shifted to his brother then back to the black clad noble. With fury giving him imagined strength and resolve he leapt at the man, but was quickly shoved backwards into the wall with a single hand around his throat.

The man's free hand brushed ragged golden brown spiky hair back as his face moved forward and stopped mere inches from Cloud's own. Cloud could feel the man's hot breath penetrating the cloth and brushing across his face as jade eyes seemed to delve into his own till he blinked.

Suddenly he was falling to the ground released from the man's grasp. "What do you want from me?" He choked out while rubbing at his now sore throat.

The nobleman deemed his question unimportant obviously as he didn't respond. Rather than that he slowly unwound the face wrap and turban from his head until MORE glistening silver hair spilled out and down his back.

When the nobleman turned around to face Cloud once more he was struck by the man's refined beauty. He had… an air about him that seemed to draw you in and Cloud's breath caught in his throat; though that may have been due to the man nearly strangling him.

A light sigh escaped the jade eyed noble's lips before he took a single knee before Cloud and with head bowed low stated, "I have been searching for you my lord."

A pause allowed Cloud to think… or rather his mind to go wild. The only word that formed… made him feel stupid. "… Huh?"

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**_AN2:_** What is going on o.o… how am I supposed to know? Look forward to the next chapter! You learn more about Aon and Cloud as well as this abusive silver haired noble… whoever he is.

Anyways… that's chapter one. It was enjoyable to write so I hope you enjoyed reading it.

Each chapter will have the below section with stuff that's… fun to know if not THAT important. It should all be spoken of to some degree in the chapters as things progress.

**_FUN FACTS:_**

**Mid Sized city of Allovoros:** Pop. 30,000 – one week from the Central Gate and town that sits behind it.

**Large City of Kaifeng:** Pop. 123,000. A city that became an enormous trading hub between Demon and Human lands and is thus VERY important. It sits on the Midgar side of the Central Gates. Of note – any human city within a day's ride of the Central Gate is burned to the ground(by the demons). So there is one exactly one day away that grows backwards away from the gate rather than towards it.

**Five Guardian Gods:** They were mentioned… twice in this chapter and are rather important. They will be explained in detail later.

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	3. First Arc - Chapter One

**_AN1: _**Yes, this is another chapter. I couldn't wait to write it… heh.

Note the 'Arc' that comes before the chapter. So far there are slated to be six before the story ends, and should be around ten chapters each. Not sure how all that will work out, and some may get blended into a single arc or split into multiples.

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**_Disclaimer:_** I do not own Final Fantasy… This chapter is watery…

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**_Reviewers: _Please note that I am open to ANY FORM of review! Criticism is highly appreciated. Cookies and cake are… accepted. **

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**First ARC **

**Wings of Calamity**

Chapter One

It Just Needs Some Polishing

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A blazing morning sun sat nearly a quarter of the way up into the sky. It was just nearly ten o'clock when a small and strange group of people arrived back at Allovoros's largest and most expensive inn 'The Desert Lady'. A small dirty blonde kid in blue ragged clothing stood next to the silver haired noble that was leading a black Chocobo around. Like another one of the sacks atop the chocobo's back and apparently unconscious lay a fire haired fox boy dressed in equally tattered but red clothing.

The inn stood three stories tall and was made entirely of finely carved wood. Posts in the shapes of scantily clad women held aloft the front balcony. Unlike most of even the city's richest people could afford there were glass windows, and real dark stained wooden doors.

At the front door a woman and man stood as greeters to their finely paying guests. As the small group approached the female greeter dressed in golden silk with darkened skin, and hair like the night sky stepped forward with a smile.

"My Lord Crescent you have returned already. And you brought…" The woman trailed off as she took note of the small blonde child walking beside him. His new lord if the feeling Sephiroth held was correct. "I'm sorry my lord, but the urchins will have to-," she began again but was cut off.

"Watch your tongue woman, and have someone stable my Chocobo in the back." Sephiroth stated through a darkened and very frightening complexion. She may have thought she was rather good, but he had noted the look of disgust that flitted across the woman's face before that false smile was back upon her lips.

A single hand deftly reached back and grabbed the butt of the kitsune's trousers lifting him with ease from his perch. The boy's hair, arms, and legs drug on the ground as he stepped forward past the woman and into the inn.

"Wait! You're dragging him!" His soon to be lord stated. Sephiroth stopped and closed his eyes while fighting back a sigh. His next action was not going to be pleasant, and its reason was one of their purposes for coming back to this inn in the first place.

"Understood." Sephiroth stated as he reoriented the kitsune and tossed him over his shoulder like a sack. With closer proximity his nose wrinkled in disgust, the smell was rather horrendous. Yes… their main reason for coming here was to get his new lord and his new lord's 'brother' into a bath to clean themselves up. While they were here he was going to have to get something to change them into besides those horrible rags they wore as well.

Personally he would rather have left the kitsune behind, but the boy would have none of it. While the future Lord Strife had asked for an explanation Sephiroth had managed to put that off until later in the day… when the boy was cleaned and dressed in a way that befit his soon to be station.

His soon to be lord had stated that the fox boy was his 'brother'. While the statement seemed genuine enough it was entirely preposterous. The soon to be Lord Strife was a pure blood wingly, and the fox APPEARED to be a pure blood as well. He had heard of bonds such as this, but without any form of siblings or even parents Sephiroth could not understand the emotion in the least.

Lord Strife had stated that if he was going anywhere his 'brother' was going with him. Taking the fire haired and unconscious boy was merely the quickest way out of that small back alley hovel the two apparently called a home. The thought itself was… disgusting, but he had heard of such things in the past. Being one from his rank… or rather his former rank of high noble; he had never actually been in one before this day. Now that he had been, he had no desire to return EVER again.

"What are we doing here?" Soon to be Lord Strife queried as his blonde head moved in apparent awe at his surroundings. Sephiroth was used to places such as this even in all his travels, it was the cold and contemptuous stares from the inn's other patrons that he took note of.

"We are here so that you-," Sephiroth began, but was cut off by the groaning form on his shoulder. The kitsune appeared to be coming around. Finally he may be rid of this useless and filthy weight he'd been forced to carry around. Let the boy walk on his own.

Without a care he lifted the boy by his trousers once more and set him on the floor face first. "Aon! Are you alright? Can you stand up?" Lord Strife questioned the groaning kitsune.

"I feel like I tried to fight a bull demon." The boy stated as he sat up and looked around, then shook his head as if he did not believe where he was. "Cloud… where are we?"

Sephiroth excused himself at that point and walked over to the nearby counter to check in. He doubted much that the two were foolish enough to think that they could actually escape him. "Excuse me Madam." Sephiroth said to get the attention of the attendant.

Slowly a dark skinned woman cat woman glanced up with a smile. Her tail remained still behind her… another false smile it seemed. "Yes sir, how may I help you my Lord Crescent?"

"I have need of three of your best rooms, personal access to the baths with attendants, a runner to go and pick up new clothes, and…" Sephiroth trailed off as he looked behind him. The kitsune was staring at him as Lord Strife waved his hands around in some form of explanation.

"I expect the two with me to be treated with the utmost respect. Should I notice anything of the opposite, or be told of such later…" He allowed the woman to speculate. Long ago Sephiroth had learned the power of imagination. Let the scantily clad attendant think what she would.

"Of course My Lord, everything will be exactly as you desire." The woman stated; and though her eyes never left his face her hand seemed to be scrawling something on a small note pad behind the counter.

"Very good." He stated then turned back to the soon to be Lord Strife, and the attachment. He would have to find a way to get rid of the Kitsune soon. He held no real purpose, and as such was merely a burden.

**CHANGE POINT OF VEIW CHANGE*** AON ***POINT OF VIEW CHANGE POINT OF VEIW**

Aon didn't like the situation at all. As he and his little brother walked down the immaculate hallways led by a barely dressed female attendant he took note of every possible escape path. If his guess was correct, which… with him being him was only natural; then the man that had brought them here was Sephiroth Crescent the 'hero' of the five years war.

"This is the place," the woman said with a bow as she gestured to a door on her left.

"Thank you." Aon stated and inclined his head slightly; as was usual, his young wingly brother mimicked him.

Cloud was the first to enter the room; slowly and warily Aon followed. He wasn't really sure what to expect. After all, they hadn't exactly been told where the attendant was taking them by their 'benefactor'. A large bath lay before the two of them, and he fought back the wonder. Cloud on the other hand wasn't quite nearly so discreet as his mouth dropped open slightly.

Dark stained wooden pillars dotted the entire room and could obscure things if you didn't look closely enough. Beyond them at the edge of the room sat a large step in pool that grew progressively deeper as you went in. The water was most probably warmed with fire Materia or some other method. The floors were all made entirely of dark colored tiles. If one looked just right they seemed to paint a scene of a beach near the ocean.

"Welcome," a woman to his right stated causing Aon to jump and an arm to fling out in a protective motion coving Cloud. "We are here to assist you."

… He could only watch in some strange sense of horror as more attendants appeared out of what seemed to be thin air… then proceeded to converge on the two like a pack of rabid slobbering dogs. (his imagination at work). It wasn't more than a few seconds and they were surrounded. He was quickly separated from Cloud against his will by the pulling hands of the women. He… didn't know when, but at some point he lost his vest. "Hey, quit it!" He said to the crazed women around him.

"Be calm sir," One of them said as a giggle erupted throughout the small group. Of course the next step was his pants, and as they plummeted to the ground he started to try and push the women away. "Sir, please stop struggling, we are only here to help you."

"I don't need your help to undress!" He exclaimed angrily as he fought his way through the crowd of women(four). When he was finally away he noted the breezy feeling that told him he was completely naked. These women were very good… wait, Cloud, where was his brother? His gaze flew around frantically until it landed on four more women and his naked brother near the edge of the step in bath.

His fist clenched as a hand rested on his shoulder pushing him gently toward the warm crystal clear water ahead… and he finally snapped. Before he could be pushed into the water his feet and thus steps reoriented until he found himself standing next to the group hounding his brother. The women were insane, they were practically attacking the little blonde wingly.(imagination).

A hand lashed out and pulled one after another away from his brother as he shouted, "OUT! ALL OF YOU GET OUT!" He pushed them back uncaring where his hands landed until the group of women were sent in a panic towards the door. He chased them all the way out of the room and into the hall as his tails lashed behind him angrily. "DON'T COME BACK!" He shouted after them.

Aon Glanced both ways to make sure that the group of insane women following his instructions before he turned back to walk inside. The people in the hall were looking at him strangely… he didn't know why. Aon slammed the door behind him as he walked happily back towards the bath finally free of those pests.

His tails were swaying with joy as his ears twitched in a happy fashion atop his head. He rounded one of the strange wooden pillars that decorated the room and came into view of his brother. "Cloud, I'll help you wash your hair." He stated with happiness… which quickly dissipated as he noted his brother was already lathering something into his blonde spikes.

"I can wash it myself." The boy stated matter-of-factly… or was it standoffish.

Aon's tails quit moving and tucked slightly in defeat. "Ohh… Ok." He said as he walked slowly towards the bath in defeat.

"But…" His brother stated slowly as he turned around. "I can't reach my back very well, and they don't seem to have anything to help with that."

"I can do that!" Aon stated as his ears perked up and his foot scooted a scrub brush behind a small box thus obscuring it from Cloud's view.

The small blonde moved forward another step as Aon walked up and sat behind him with only his feet stretched out in the water. To his right was a rag which he quickly grabbed, dunked in the water then lathered up with some… soap like substance. The boy's pale skin was brown in some places where he hadn't ever been washed… aside from that one time… heh. They even put a bit of make up on the boy. It was nothing major, but that's the actual reason it was funny. He wasn't about to tell his wingly brother that though.

After splashing water onto Cloud's back for the initial scrub he took note of the small white 'scar tissue' where his wings should come out. One of the boy's problems lay in that, and he doubted the 'hero' knew it just yet. Though Cloud was a wingly he couldn't spread his wings. Aon never actually understood how the wings worked in the first place either so he couldn't help. It wasn't like they tucked in there when they weren't in use right? There was just not enough room unless all Wingly's were hunchbacks or something, and since they weren't it just didn't make any sense.

"Hey, Aon." Cloud began as the rag touched his back for the first time.

"Hmm?" The kitsune replied as he started the job… which would probably be difficult.

"Do you know what Mr. Crescent wants?" His brother asked.

Aon didn't reply for a few moments while scrubbing at the dirt on his brothers back, or rather he didn't want to. "Yeah… probably." He said trying to be vague and evasive. There was one spot he just couldn't get clean so he scrubbed harder pushing his brother forward.

"Stop for a second." The blonde said as he dunked his head under water and scrubbed with his hands before resurfaced.

"You're gonna need to do that again." Aon jeered happily as he noted that the boy's hair still wasn't clean after the first go.

"Chh, it gets in my eyes." The blonde replied.

"Heheheh, well then you should keep them closed." He taunted.

"Once is enough," Cloud said then turned around suddenly. "Let me help you with yours!"

"Denied," Aon's hands made an X in front of his chest after dropping the rag.

"Why?" The boy asked sadly while putting on a pouting face. Bahh, Cloud should know that didn't work on him anymore.

The Kitsune's right hand drifted up and tugged at one ear. "You aren't allowed near my ears anymore remember." He stated as memories flooded his mind.

"Come on! I'll be more careful." Cloud replied and Aon's eyes narrowed as he stared at his brother's pouting face in contemplation.

A light sigh escaped his lips as he closed his eyes and nodded. "Fine, but you have to wash your own hair again when it's done." See he could he brotherly demanding as well.

"Yes!" Cloud cried out in triumph then stood and moved around so Aon could take his spot.

"Remember to be careful around my ears," Aon warned.

"I know!" Cloud stated rather sharp and angrily. Well Aon was sorry that he couldn't demonstrate just what it was like to have someone scratch behind your ears; or get stroked from the top of your head, down your back, and to the tips of your tails. It wasn't the same as doing it yourself… it felt different.

"So about Mr. Crescent," Cloud started. Chh, he'd thought he managed to escape that one. His brother could be quite impatient. Their silver haired kidnapper had said he would explain things didn't he?

"Yeah alright," Aon said after dunking his head to wet his hair for the first time. "You said he called you his lord right?" A cold substance touched down at the top of his head, and hands slowly started the job careful of avoiding his ears.

"Yeah, that's what he said." His brother replied.

"Hmm," Aon started. "You probably don't remember since you were only four when it was talked about a lot."

"What was talked about?" Cloud interrupted. See… he was impatient.

"Sephiroth Crescent the hero of the 'Five Years War'-." Aon started but was cut off… AGAIN.

"What's the five years war?" His brother queried.

Aon's face deadpanned. "I've taught you that before remember? Or were you actually asleep with your eyes open?" He had tried to teach the boy as best he could after their mother died when he was nine and Cloud was seven.

"Umm…" Was his only reply… naturally.

"The five years war happened nearly fifty years ago. It was that war of retaliation against the humans for killing Princess Aria. Anyways, as I was saying," he continued as Cloud's hands started to wash the red hair that reached down to his mid back. "Sephiroth the Hero of that war was appointed to find the next Lord of the Central Gate."

"You mean the seat that's been vacant for years?" Cloud said as his hands moved back up slowly towards Aon's scalp.

"Yeah, that's the ahhhhaaahahhhhh," Aon stated as his foot jerked at the sudden scratch behind his right ear. "I said to be careful Cloud." Aon said perturbed that the boy hadn't listened or wasn't paying enough attention.

"I am being careful." His brother said happily as he scratched behind both ears at once.

"Cl… Cloud s-ss… stop, stop it!" Aon stated as his head contradicted what he was saying by leaning into the scratch to help. Ahh it felt sooo good. No… he had to fight back.

"But you enjoy it so much. You should let me do this more often." The boy jeered tauntingly.

Aon's left eye twitched slightly as his tails lashed happily behind him in the water. Damn those tails, he didn't want this! "No I'm not en… enjoying," he replied but couldn't finish.

"That's not what your actions suggest though." Cloud stated the annoyingly obvious as he continued the ohh so nice… NO he had to figh… yes, right there. Scratch right there more…

It took another minute or so before he could break free and whirl to face the boy who was happily holding his hands up in defense.

"Now you're gonna get it…" Aon trailed off with narrowed eyes as he slowly walked forward… until Soap got in his eyes and he had to close them with a curse.

"Hahahahahahaha," Cloud laughed as his voice retreated away from the bath side.

"Damn it Cloud! Get back here and accept your punishment!" Aon cried out before dunking his head under the water again.

**CHANGE POINT OF VEIW CHANGE*** SEPHIROTH ***POINT OF VIEW CHANGE POINT OF VEIW**

Sitting out in the hall at a small table near the baths was Sephiroth. He'd had it brought up so that he could keep an 'eye' on the two. A small plate of breakfast foods and two cups sat before him. In one was a black substance that could only be coffee, and in the other a white substance… milk perhaps.

He had been annoyed after discovering that the fox had chased the helpers from the bathroom. However, since the two could still be heard occasionally from the room he had accepted the situation. As he sat and took sparing bites of the food laid out before him he thought through recent events.

The previous day he had been headed for this exact inn after arriving in town some hour or so before. The city was dismal, sand filled, scorching hot, and wretched. He had decided that he wasn't going to be spending much time here before moving on. After all, who would think that Allovoros could possibly hold someone strong enough to be the Central Gates Lord?

When he'd been almost mugged by a small blonde wingly he had been in a bit of shock. Power, though suppressed by something, seemed to be rolling off the boy in droves. Scaring the child had simply been a way of testing him. Sephiroth had gotten more than he expected after the scream and boy's subsequent escape.

During the struggle the blonde's magical power had spread out around them and of all things activated dormant Materia at a local stall. Though the Materia was low in level, the fact that he had activated two at once unconsciously was… worthy of more investigation.

Sephiroth's head turned back to the closed off room as another laugh echoed loudly under the closed door. He failed to see how anyone could have enough fun to be laughing while taking a simple bath. Perhaps they were doing something besides cleaning themselves in there, which meant that he was going to have to stop it soon. If not he would undoubtedly be here for the majority of the afternoon. There was much to do, and much more to say.

After the soon to be Lord Strife's escape from his grasp he had spent nearly the whole previous day searching for him. While there were traces and hearsay it was quite difficult to actually nail down exactly where the boy could be. Finally after he'd retired to the inn at around four o'clock he had questioned a few patrons unsuccessfully, and then an attendant. The woman had known the boy as well as his apparent brother. He had finally been forced to shut her up and send her away after a half hour. He'd gleaned all of the important information within the first half of their conversation. After that it had been about the two boy's exploits after the death of their guardian.

Apparently there was a female wingly that gave birth to the young Cloud some sixteen years prior. When the boy was around the age of two the red haired fox had been adopted from a friend who had died. The woman made her way through life as a stall crier and sales woman. Apparently she was rather popular as well. When her son was seven she had caught an illness and died rather badly. From there the two had turned to petty thievery as no one would take them in during the food shortage happening at that time.

Should he call it a tragic story? No, there were thousands more with similar tales out in the world, and would be thousands more if he didn't manage to place the boy in his seat. "Ahahahahah, quit it AON! Quit it!" The voice of Lord Strife echoed from beneath the door.

A sigh escaped Sephiroth's lips as he wiped his mouth with a napkin then stood. He was going to put an end to this 'bath' now. It wasn't like the two were actually cleaning off anyways. If he had to go in and finish the job then he would, and they would both regret it.

After pushing the door open he strode purposefully into the room and around a few large wooden pillars. The sight that greeted him was most definitely NOT one he expected to see. The fire haired fox stood in the middle of the bath spinning around with Lord Strife tossed over his shoulder. Sephiroth cleared his throat and the fox tripped on something sending the both of them plummeting into the water only to resurface a second later.

"What'd you do that for?" Lord Strife queried as he was facing the other way. The kitsune boy reached across and grabbed the lord with both hands then spun him around to face Sephiroth as he had been since surfacing. "Ohh…" The Lord stated.

Sephiroth's eyes closed as a hand reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. When he opened his jade eyes once again he stared at the two. It DID appear that they were actually clean now, to top it off the lord AND the fox cleaned up rather nicely. Certain Brothels in the capital would fight for the both of them given the chance. They were young, well toned to a degree if not more than a bit thin, and held a slightly exotic allure.

The small wingly lord had pale skin which lent credence to his pure blood theory. Blonde hair the color of wheat sat atop his head and seemed to defy gravity at random even with its current wet nature. To top it off he had strangely alluring sky blue eyes which seemed to give off a dull shine in the right lighting. From what he could tell the boy stood at around five foot five or six, but it would take a tailor back at Kaifeng to pin that down to one or the other.

The fox had a slight tan, but nothing major considering the amount of time he probably spent in the sun. Fire red hair fell to his mid back, and bangs of the same color fell to around the same place on his chest. The trademark golden eyes that seemed to grace most of his species stared back in a calculating fashion. The tips of his ears were white and as far as Sephiroth could tell that was the only hair the boy had that wasn't that deep fire red. If he had to guess the kitsune was between five foot eight and five foot ten. Fox's were very wary, sly, and devious creatures; thus dangerous as history had shown on more than one occasion.

"Out… Now!" Sephiroth commanded as he finally pulled his eyes away and walked back to the door. Given the correct clothing and some training perhaps the small blonde wingly could actually pull off looking like a Lord.

"Told you," the voice of the fox reached his ears before he closed the door.

Space…

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**_AN2:_** The bath scene was actually supposed to be rather short, but I enjoyed writing it; so it kept getting longer… whoops.

I was thinking of taking Cloud and Aon's ages back a year. So instead of 16/18 it would be 15/17. I'll leave that up to you the readers. If I did so I would have Cloud's birthday right around the corner, and thus give you a birthday chapter to look forward too. If not his birthday happened recently and will not happen again until later in the story. PM me with your thoughts or feelings about this. Suppose I could start some poll or something… but I won't.

This chapter was going to go on for about… 2500 more words or so, so I cut it short and decided to post it all in Chapter two.

**_FUN FACTS:_**

**Aonather Strife: **That's Aon's full name. I figured I'd tell you since it will probably be more than a few chapters before I get the chance to have someone actually say it completely. He's Cloud's adopted brother, and one of the main characters. I can't help, but put in OC's… they make things fun o.o; I might even take one from a reader eventually to add in. It could be interesting to write a character I didn't come up with. We shall see...

**The Five years War:** The war of retaliation that happened after Princess Aria was killed. In the open the war lasted five years, during which time Sephiroth became the 'Hero' he is known for being today. After the first five years the war between armies stopped. In its place for another four years the Demon's sent assassin's to kill off very influential people in the Human Empires nobility. Most were made to look like they were caused by other Human nobles, and before long the Empire tore itself apart from the inside.

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	4. Chapter Two

**_AN1: _**I was afraid of how this might turn out and as such have been having a hard time writing it. When doing so I was like 'ughh that looks like crap'. After giving it time to settle and then reading it over… I'm actually pretty satisfied with how it turned out.

Read and be merry.

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**_Disclaimer:_** I do not own Final Fantasy… This chapter has darkness…

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**_Reviewers: _Please note that I am open to ANY FORM of review! Criticism is highly appreciated. Cookies and cake are… accepted. **

SPACE…

**Chapter Two**

**War Hero**

Space…

Space…

The third Floor of 'The Desert Lady' consisted of only four large bedrooms. The cost of only a single room was staggering from what Cloud had been told by one of the attendants, and the silver haired demon had rented three. If he had managed to pilfer the nobleman's purse of coins they wouldn't have eaten well for a month they would have eaten well for YEARS! He couldn't actually understand the point in all of this extravagance.

The room he stood in was occupied by a very large feather bed, a large dark wooden dresser, two couches of black leather, a small dining table, a night stand on each side of the bed, four end tables, a coffee table, and last but certainly not least a VERY large mirror. The thing took up nearly a quarter of one wall.

As it was, both Cloud and Aon stood before the mirror trying on various clothes that Sephiroth had brought them. A quick glance left towards his brother allowed Cloud to take note of a few things. First Aon had it easy with his standard militaristic looking clothes. Loose black pants were tucked into black boots, a long sleeved crimson red shirt that buttoned up the middle, and finally a long black coat that reached his lower calf's was trimmed in golden fabric and had the strangest design sewn into the back. A golden snakelike dragon seemed to have wound itself into a circle and was eating its own tail.

"Hahahaha, you look hilarious," the fire haired fox said while pointing at him and laughing. Cloud looked down at himself with a sigh. The second thing of note… was the stark difference in the clothes he had been provided. Was it some sort of robe? He had never seen anything like it before, and he had three of them to pick from. Each was made from silk as well as the accessories that went with them. Why did he need that many belts? Wasn't one enough?

"Umm…" Cloud began while holding up his arms. The coat fell open to reveal what he assumed to be under clothes. He had gotten that right… right?

Aon simply laughed again and walked over. "Look, it's not a coat. Our benefactor is trying to dress you up like a nobleman from the capital."

The kitsune took hold of both sides and pulled at them. Tucking one side under the other he proceeded to fold them, as he did Cloud asked the question he had just recently before things devolved in the bath. "You said you might know what he wants with us."

"Aiyahh, Did I?" Aon said as he pulled the first belt VERY tightly causing Cloud to wince. "I don't remember such a thing." The boy said.

"But we were just talking about it an hour ago." Cloud stated… then realized what was happening. His brother was being difficult because of the thing with his ears. It wasn't Cloud's fault they twitched and begged for him to scratch them. Besides Aon always seemed happy when it happened, so why didn't he like it?

"Were we? I can't remember hearing much in the bath." His brother continued. Yep, Cloud was right his brother was going to be difficult about it. When he got like that there really wasn't a point in arguing about the matter; he wouldn't cave.

After apparently finishing his brother stepped back to observe his work. A few moments in the fire haired kitsune's head turned to the side and he stifled a laugh. "Hopefully he doesn't stick with wanting you to wear that. It doesn't suit you in the least."

"It does look funny," Cloud said while crinkling his nose and looking in the mirror. "What is this called anyways?"

"It's a Kimono," the jade eyed nobleman himself stated as he closed the door behind him. His eyes roamed the two of them for a silent moment causing Cloud to look down at himself in worry. Aon hadn't messed up had he? When he glanced back up the man was nodding. "You put it on perfectly, though I do wish you had done something with your hair."

Aon spoke up as the silver haired nobleman made his way to one of the couches. Sephiroth was wearing the same thing as Cloud though his was black as a moonless and starless night. The one Cloud was finally wearing was dark blue with dark green trim and borders. Odd symbols that were probably writing could be found emblazoned in black at various locations. He wondered what they said. "Heh, we tried, but even with water, cleaning, and a vigorous combing it doesn't stay down."

"I see," the man said while motioning for the two of them to sit across from him at the second black leather couch. Aon was the first to move, and Cloud followed his lead as best he could in the unfamiliar clothing. It was sort of restricting compared to the pants and vest he had worn his whole life, but these were free so he would wear them… besides he hadn't been told what happened to his clothes.

Aon fell back onto the couch with ease, and Cloud sat down much the same. The black leather was rather bouncy with its plump cushions and he popped back up a little before scooting back and getting as comfortable as he possibly could. The nobleman's eyes narrowed then closed as he sighed. What was he thinking about Cloud wondered.

"Now that you are more… presentable." The man said as his eyes reopened. "I will explain what is going on." So he didn't have to wait anymore. Elation spread through his body as it seemed to lighten in anticipation.

"To start off I assume you know who I am by now." The man stated like everyone should know. In actuality if Aon hadn't just told him recently he wouldn't have had a clue other than the man's last name which he'd overheard.

His brother remained silent and watching so Cloud talked. "You're Sephiroth Crescent, Hero of the Five Years War."

The man stared at him in contemplation before nodding. "Yes, that's what I've been called since the war. I am also a noble with close relations to the Royal Family and in line for the throne if not rather far back on the list." A brief pause was all they were given before he continued. "A few years after the war ended I was given a task by the King to find a replacement for the previous Lord of the Central Gate."

"The one that disappeared." Cloud interrupted. Aon had talked about the man on more than one occasion.

"Yes, the Wingly Demon Lord Tehranoa." The man stated with a nod.

"Wrong," Aon interjected. "He was a fox demon."

The man looked at his brother with controlled anger. "While it is conjectured that he could be almost ANY demon it is accepted FACT that Tehranoa was a wingless wingly."

"By the nobility… who are almost ALL Wingly's." Aon said as he sat forward. Cloud recognized that tone of voice; the fire haired Kitsune would argue his point until he was blue in the face. So rather than let that get started he interjected again.

"Wait… how could no one know what he was?" It really didn't make any sense. Aon had always told him that Tehranoa was a great and powerful Demon Fox… or what was it called… a Kyuubi; something to do with the amount of tails.

"The man was covered at all times by his soul armor as such no one knew what he was." The man seemed to be directing his speech directly at Aon and enunciating certain words. "With that being the case all demons claim he was of their race. The man never refuted or confirmed a single rumor." Sephiroth continued.

Soul armor… he'd heard of that before. No, Aon had told him about something different. What was it again…? Ohh right, all Demon races could summon a soul blade. It was a… reflection of their soul given physical form. What did that make Soul armor? The same thing? He'd have to ask Aon about it later.

"Hahaha, exactly!" Aon stated as if it were his victory. "Do you really think anyone other than a fox demon could possibly keep up a ruse like that for more than a few years?"

"It would not be that difficult." Sephiroth stated then turned back to Cloud. If he'd noted correctly the kitsune had rolled his eyes as the nobleman look away. "As I was saying before we were sidetracked. The king assigned me to find a new Lord of the Central Gate. I have searched all four provinces, searched each town, and finally found someone with what I believe to be enough potential to take the previous Lords place."

Who could possibly take the place of someone like that? Story's had it that the man had fought and killed over two hundred Human Heroes during his time as Lord of the Central Gate. That was more than any lord before him, and in less than half the time. "Who?"

The man stared at him for a few moments before pointing… at him. "You Cloud."

Sky Blue eyes opened wide, "Me?"

"Yes, you." The man stated as he lounged back with one arm over the back of the couch, and the other resting at his side. "While struggling with me yesterday you subconsciously activated two Materia from nearly fifteen feet away."

"He did what?" Aon said while sitting forward and staring at the man… then turning a contemplative gaze upon Cloud. **'I did what?'** Cloud questioned as he looked into his brothers golden eyes. How did he? He couldn't have…

"As such you MIGHT have the potential to become a Central Gate Lord as great as if not greater than the previous one. Only your will power and desire can get you to that point though." The silver haired nobleman stated.

"So then… what…" Cloud trailed off as he was suddenly lost. While that had explained what the man wanted from him it certainly didn't explain what was going to happen next.

"We rest here tonight, and depart in the morning for Kaifeng." Sephiroth stated.

"Wait a minute!" Aon said as he leapt to his feet. "I've gone along with this until now, but which one of the five fucking guardians(who the hell basically) said we would go with you?"

The man smirked before he replied. "You are right; you are free to return to your squalid lives in that hovel of a house, barely scraping up the food to feed yourselves, unsure of if someone will catch you when you steal something next. However, if you come with me you will live a life most nobles don't get a chance to."

**'Live a life… higher than a nobles?**' Cloud thought as he stared down at the floor.

"I'll give you the night to think it over. If you want to come with me then feel free to. I will be waiting for the good news in the dining area tomorrow morning." The man stated like it was a foregone conclusion that they would go. He… didn't know… just the thought made his heart beat faster. The two of them could live better, they wouldn't have to worry about whether they would eat that day or not… Aon could live a better life.

A quick glance up and to his right had him taking note of Aon's face peering contemplative down at him. His ears twitched madly atop his head; so he was thinking. Was it of the same thing?

**()()()()Transition()()()()**

The large room was dark as the moonless night outside. It was one of those few strange days a year when both moons were obscured in the night sky. Darkness held sway in the back alleys and both Cloud and his brother had made pretty good heists on those nights. He recalled robbing some passing merchant of his book once. Aon said it was important, and had kept it for a while before finally pawning it off. His claim was that if they'd sold it too soon then they would have been caught and killed. In reality he'd spent a lot of time reading it before they went to bed most nights.

It didn't matter, that was years ago now, and in the room on the third floor of 'The Desert Lady' in which Cloud resided was dark, cold, and lonely. This was to be his first night for as far back as he could recall in which Aon hadn't been there right behind him. He wasn't afraid of the darkness or the cold. The blanket on top of him was warming enough, and the bed below him was more than comfortable. No… it just felt… strange; like he was being forced to sleep without a blanket for the first time.

How long had he been there tossing and turning sleeplessly? Was that due to his restlessness and thoughts about the future… of what it could hold? This wasn't exactly a decision he could make lightly. It concerned both of their futures… would Aon even come with him? He hadn't had the chance to ask after Sephiroth left. Aon had been cursing and muttering for a few hours then disappeared until just before they were 'asked' to go to sleep by the jade eyed nobleman.

After turning over on his back Cloud's blue gaze stared up at the dark canopy of his bed and he sighed. The blanket lay tossed off to his side and his night clothes lay open. He was too hot; the blanket was stifling. What should he do? A sudden compression on the bed stole his gaze away from its previous location and onto his late night visitor.

"Problems sleeping little brother?" The voice of Aon was accompanied by the familiar sound of his brothers swishing tails on fabric. His heart skipped a beat as he sighed inwardly.

"Yeah… thoughts of tomorrow." Cloud replied as the Kitsune lay back and rested his head on Cloud's stomach. His twitching ears were slightly tickling.

"In the end it's your decision Cloud. I can't make this one for you." His brother's voice sounded solemn.

"Can't I ask for advice?" He joked while staring back up at the canopy. If he concentrated hard enough designs could just barely be made out.

"Hmmm, I'll say that the man's intentions seem sincere to a degree, but don't let his talk fool you. The Central Gate Lords job isn't sitting all pretty behind a wall eating good food and meeting hot wingly ladies." The red head stopped speaking and shifted the way he lay. The boy pushed his way up alongside Cloud and turned to look at him. "You will be trained to fight… gruelingly most probably. Then you'll have to kill people both Human and Demon, and you'll have to deal with the snobby nobles we steal from all the time. Well, the last parts probably the worst of it." His brother finished with a light elbow to his side.

"So you're saying it has its benefits, and its drawbacks. You're a lot of help, really." Cloud said and elbowed the boy back.

"Stick with me little brother I'm a bundle of Wisdom. I'm a fox after all; that means I'm a genius." He could see his brothers grin even without the light provided by the twin moons.

"How dangerous do you think it really is?" Cloud questioned.

"Your minds all over the place Cloud." His brother said then sighed. "They say Tehranoa had a few attempts on his life every week for the first decade of his reign. Something to do with making the greedy nobles mad. If you want to know more than that, you'll have to ask our patron what it was."

"So… really really dangerous," Cloud replied.

"Hey, you got me right. You really think I'll let those bastards get any sort of weapon close enough to you to actually be of any threat? No… you'll be more likely to choke on all that nice food than killed by some assassin." His brother finished.

"'Cuz you're a genius right?" Cloud said and rolled his eyes.

"Hey, have I ever steered us wrong?" Aon asked as he stopped looking Cloud's direction and instead stared up at the Canopy as well.

"You mean other than just last night with the Gysahl Greens, or three days ago when you said that it would be fine to try our luck with stealing alcohol again? Then there was-," Cloud tried to keep going, but Aon cut him off.

"Alright alright, I get it. Why must you keep track so closely?" The boy said then sat up tossing a hand over a single knee.

"I don't remember ALL of them… just most." He replied with a smirk.

"Alright then." His brother cut in and turned to get off the bed. "I'm off. Good night and get some sleep if you can. Thinking too much is actually bad for your brain. It turns it all pasty and you become like Sephiroth."

"Wait!" Cloud called out and leapt over grabbing his brother's arm. "Stay here… I can't sleep… It's weird being alone."

The boy turned to him with what Cloud could only guess was a mischievous grin. Yeah… he should have just let his brother go. It would have been for the best after all. Maybe he could still- "Can't sleep without me huh?" A small and… evil? Laugh echoed throughout the room. "Then the conditioning is complete." His brother leapt back onto the bed and lay across his mid section.

"Hahaha, I can't sleep like this either!" Cloud called out and pushed the Kitsune away trying to get him off. "I don't need you as a blanket!" He exclaimed and finally managed to push the boy off.

Golden eyes turned back to stare at Cloud before moving up alongside him. A light yawn escaped his brother's mouth as he tossed the blanket back over the both of them. "Good night Cloud." The boy said before golden eyes closed leaving Cloud alone to his thoughts once more.

It was his decision huh…

**()()()()()Transition()()()()()**

Fire was everywhere, it had long since engulfed the city he resided in. It wasn't just the flames that hounded him though; he was fighting some foes in black armor and brandishing their steel blades. It had been quite some time since they had cornered him between themselves and the flames. With both sword and Magic he fought them off as best he could, but he was growing tired. Someone was coming, but he didn't know who. He just had to hold out until that time arrived. Just had to stay alive.

The black figures slowly continued to circle around him until a blade flashed out and he parried it then ducked, turned and ran his long thin blade through the slits in the figures armor under his arm and pierced his heart. The black clad figure fell without a word and Cloud looked back around him to see two more take his place in the flaming hallway.

'**Damn it. I need to move.**' Whirling on his feet he started to run from his pursuers back into the inferno. He wasn't about to die here. Someone… was… Someone…

Slowly blue eyes opened and he looked around him at the canopy bed. The right side of his bed where Aon had been so recently was now empty. Where was he? This place was all so unfamiliar… no… wait, that's right he was in that inn with Aon and the silver haired nobleman… Sephiroth. Pieces of the previous day solidified slowly in his head before the entire picture was clear.

His blue eyed gaze turned to the other two in the room. His brother Aon was talking animatedly to Sephiroth. "I told you to let him sleep. He was up all night thinking about your 'proposal'."

"He has slept long enough. It is already mid morning; if we do not leave soon then we won't make it too far before dark. It's a long trek ahead and all of the preparations have already been made." The silver haired noble stated.

"IF he decides to go with you. There's no guarantee that he will." Aon stated as he tapped his foot in anger and his twin fiery tails lashed behind him.

The noble merely smirked, and Cloud sat up in bed with a yawn and a stretch. His brother whirled around to face him with a ponderous gaze. The nobleman merely stared; then spoke. "Your decision Cloud Strife?"

"Give him a minute to wake up all the way!" Aon said without turning to face the man he apparently didn't get along well with.

Cloud's thoughts moved to what he'd been thinking last night before finally falling asleep. "I will do it. I will become the Lord of the Central Gate." He said and nodded in affirmation to his resolve.

Sephiroth took a knee, and bowed his head. As silver hair spilled down his back and ran forward around his head to brush at the wooden floors the man spoke, "very well, my Lord Strife." That part… was going to take some getting used to.

Space…

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**_AN2:_** That turned out rather well, and no cliff hanger this time! Not a lot to say...

**_FUN FACTS:_**

**Soul Blade/Armor: **This is my cheater way of getting them the weapons we all know and love them using. It also means they aren't always carrying them around so I don't have to write about the huge sword strapped to Cloud's back. It doesn't have to be a 'blade' so to speak. It could just as easily be a staff or bow and arrows… throwing star whatever. More in depth explanations are given later by Mr. Silver hair.

**Midgar: **The capital of Midgar is also Midgar, original isn't it? The country is more like an empire solidified over a few thousand years. There are five Provinces in total, North, South, East, West, and Central. Central is controlled by the capital city itself and has over a half million residents. Each province has it's own governing Body that controlls all of the smaller Sectors beneath them. More on the government later. Geography also varies considerbly as you might have guessed from the portal Chapter that describes Sephiroth's Journey a bit. More on that later... I'm feeling lazy right now.

**Clothing Styles: **Seeing as the demon's control 1/3rd of the continent; their clothing syles are naturally very dispersed over the five Provinces. They will be explained in more detail later. The Nobles all tend to dress in old Eastern fashion. So... Japanese styles abound amongst the nobles. Like I said in the Portal Chapter there is a Chinese like Kingdom/empire far on the other side of the world... whcih if you spun the map around into a globe isn't quite so far away after all. You'll have to stick around to see all the various Clothing syles.

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	5. Chapter Three

**_AN1: _**

Who likes the new avatar? It's a pile of foxes! You can only really see two of them though... of note it's REALLY creepy leaving them as your background. If you don;t have the window blown up completely they stare at you...

Updates are currently planned for release every fourteen days. That doesn't mean that I won't post a new chapter BEFORE that. I could post one on a tuesday and the next on that Wednesday. It's all a matter of how far the muse takes me. This chapter was ALMOST the exception.

Sorry for the delay on this Chapter. I decided to finish off my other story Game Pieces before writing another chapter… then I needed a mental break since I wrote over 10,000 words (spread across multiple chapters) in six days… it was draining…

The transition… was harsh, but I think I managed it properly. There's a new character introduced here. He's someone we all know and love, but you'll NEVER guess who it is until he shows up Some of you until Cloud says his name. Heh… your reactions should be interesting, pity I can't see them.

Space…

**_Disclaimer:_** I do not own Final Fantasy… This chapter has a big city…

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**_Reviewers: _****Please note that I am open to ANY FORM of review! Criticism is highly appreciated. Cookies and cake are… accepted. **

SPACE…

**Chapter Three**

**Welcome Home My Lord**

Space…

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Cloud's butt hurt… Riding a chocobo with a saddle was a new experience for him, and he decided after waking up the first morning of their trip that he didn't like it. The sun had just come up recently and Sephiroth was barking orders to the both of them about the proper way to break camp after their breakfast. He had been doing so since the first day, and Cloud had assumed he was getting better at it. The silver haired nobleman seemed to think otherwise as he discovered something wrong with the way he had or was doing things each time.

"The city is merely three hours from here by trot, and when we arrive there will be people there to greet us. You will have to look completely presentable." The man stated as he walked back and forth behind Cloud. "The strap is loose there." The man said and pointed to a single missed leather binding on his Chocobo's saddle.

A snicker reached his ears from nearby, and a quick glance showed him that Aon was already finished and sitting on a large log. The kitsune was finely dressed in the same black, gold, and crimson outfit he had been on the day Lord Crescent had picked them up.

As he stuck his tongue out at his brother their benefactor continued to speak behind him. "When we ride into the first gate they will greet me as someone befits my station, but you will be partially ignored. As such you must merely look the part of a dignified noble and follow my lead." The man paused and sighed, "You still haven't fixed that strap." The man stated perturbed. "Your stead also reflects upon you. If anything is in the slightest of disarray then it degrades you in the eyes of those you first meet."

"Yes," he stated and omitted the 'sir'. Sephiroth had verbally beaten that word from his dictionary when referring to 'those of lower status'; which meant all but the smallest of fractions of the population. The silver haired nobleman was still trying to teach him etiquette. It was apparently VERY important the way he sat, walked, ate, rode, talked, and… the list went on. Aon, true to his claim, was taking everything in like it was second nature. _'The benefits of being a genius'_ he'd so claimed.

Since they were riding for most of the day Sephiroth had no time to teach him anything besides what he would need immediately after arrival. This varied from the names of certain Nobles that lived at Kaifeng rather than their holdings this time of the year; to what he should and should not talk about with them. Apparently the fact that he was a street urchin would chafe them to no end. The greater majority of nobles Sephiroth had told him did not approve of commoners taking on titles of nobility. Even if it was to save them from the threats of the human menace.

Finally tightening the buckle that held down one of the sacks on his Dark blue chocobo Cloud nodded and turned to face the silver haired noble. With a nod the man seemed to give his approval. "It will do."

"Which means we can finally leave then?" Aon spoke up as he moved to his feet and dusted the moss from the rear of his long coat.

Their silver haired noble turned to face him with a disapproving look which merely made the boy smile all the more. Their apparent dislike of one another had become an overtly obvious one. By the third day Aon had left the man no openings with which to criticize him through. Etiquette, his riding, the way he broke camp, all of the small things that he seemed to pick up on from Cloud… nothing. That did not however, stop the nobleman from trying at any and every opportunity. Cloud took note as the man's Jade eyed gaze move from one thing to the next surrounding his brother. With a small frown that quickly vanished Sephiroth replied. "Yes, let us be on our way."

Cloud managed to mount the Dark blue bird in as 'dignified' a manner as he could muster in order to not be criticized. It was still difficult to do so in these strange clothes. He was granted the use of Clothing such as his fire haired brother wore for their journey thus far, but his ride into the city was deemed too important to omit the noble's garb. As such the day before Sephiroth had instructed him on the proper way to mount and dismount while wearing the Kimono.

After managing the annoying feat he turned to glance at the other two who were already astride the large birds and watching him. Aon's golden eyes held only mirth while Sephiroth's Jade's held a large mixture dominated by concern. "We will work on that again later." The man stated then flicked at the reigns. Of course they would… a light sigh escaped Cloud's moth as he followed suit and took up his customary position behind the silver haired nobleman.

They had left the desert behind a just a day ago now. Trees, grass, streams, and the river they had crossed since then were quite fascinating and wholly captivating. There had been only a few trees at Allovoros, and what small patches of grass had grown were located near the water supply. The city survived solely on trade Aon had instructed him once before. It was one of few good sized cities and towns between Kaifeng and the capital.

"Having regrets yet little brother?" The kitsune asked as he rode up next to him on his stark yellow Chocobo. His brother had told him that it was a slight at him since the bird had cost so little to procure while the one Cloud rode had cost a great deal. Each color meant something Sephiroth had instructed him, and the color of the one you rode was seen as yet another status symbol amongst the nobility.

"Only in bringing you along." Cloud grumbled which caused Aon to laugh.

"Come on now, I offered to help you." The boy spoke.

"Yeah, but it had strings attached." Cloud replied tersely. It wasn't Aon's fault he was in a slightly bad mood. His butt and legs hurt more now that the Chocobo was bouncing lightly beneath him. Not to mention that his nerves had been frayed more and more with each passing day. Doubts which had been whispering in the back of his mind since they departed seven days ago were now roaring in his head.

"Your posture is wrong," his brother stated in his best Sephiroth Scolding tone.

Cloud looked down and took note of the truth. "Stupid genius should rub off on me." Cloud mumbled under his breath while correcting it. He didn't want to give the silver haired noble any reason to turn around and say anything.

"You want me to do what now?" Aon asked as he moved his chocobo out of Cloud punching range with a light laugh. Aon had been in high spirits the majority of the trip, or that's the way it would seem to most people. His brother would often sit alone staring at the fire in thought during Cloud's lessons. The boy was concerned about something, but wouldn't explain what it was to him no matter how much he pestered him.

After a few minutes of silence and thought the words tumbled from his mouth unbidden. "You think I made the right choice Aon?"

His fire haired brother turned to face him with a strange gleam in his eyes... not joy, but something else. "You know…" The boy started but trailed off and fell silent for a few moments. He seemed to be rethinking his words. "Does it matter?"

The boy queried to which Cloud responded. "Of course what you think matters."

"Hmm, let's put this another way then. No matter what choice you make, whether good or bad I'll always be there to back you up. While our lives have certainly been altered in a fashion no one could have thought possible, it doesn't mean that your choice was right or wrong." The kitsune paused. "Regardless of what happens from here on, accept or deny we would have had to face dangers, hardships, pain, joy, and other such things. You made a decision after giving it careful thought. Try not to linger on what ifs."

"Right," Cloud said then turned back forward. Even if his brother said that… it was hard not to dwell on those 'what ifs'. They constantly harassed his mind with future possibilities both good and bad. What if… what if… What if…

**()()()()()Transition()()()()()**

Two hours into that day's ride the small and very diverse group moved from a woodland road and out onto the open plains surrounding the city of Kaifeng. Far off in the distance atop what Cloud was told was a large hill sat the huge fort-like palace he was to call home from hence forth. As if it held some strange allure the building had drawn Cloud's blue eyed gaze like a magnet to metal. Details once hazy became ever more evident the closer they neared. The thing was absolutely ENORMOUS. He had never once seen a building nearly so massive, and they hadn't even reached the city yet.

Allovoros had some large buildings that was true, but this thing… how could he scale it up without even being there. "Close the hole in your mouth little brother we're nearing the gate." Aon stated which drew Clouds attention to the small wall that surrounded the city. From his position he glanced left then right at the small wall. In both directions slate grey bricks assembled together until running headlong into a wall at least five stories tall. That was… his best guess from the current vantage point.

Atop the smaller and larger wall every hundred foot or so was a… building made of the same large slate gray bricks. "Watch posts," Aon stated from beside him then pointed. "The guards keep watch from them for miles around. If anything comes remotely close then they'll know about it long before hand."

"How do you know that?" Cloud questioned. They had no such things in Allovoros. Walls were built only around the houses of the rich, and even then weren't made of the same material.

"Because I read these paper and leather things called books." Aon said while making an opening motion with his hands. His sarcasm wasn't appreciated, but… Cloud supposed he would accept it. His brother was like that sometimes, and… he had probably told Cloud about such things before. "We spoke on this when you were all interested in the gates and the wall when you were eight." Aon affirmed his assumption. Like Cloud was supposed to remember all the things he wanted to know about when he was eight.

"NEXT!" The voice of someone Cloud didn't know spoke as the group moved past an organized line leading into the city. Everything was being thoroughly inspected before being passed through the large double doored metal gate. Hastily Cloud turned around him to make sure everything was in appropriate order. He would hear no end of it from their silver haired benefactor if he wasn't in perfect form for this.

Why weren't they stopping like everyone else though? Cloud wasn't really too sure, a quick glance to his right at the line told him nothing. There seemed to be any number of demon's there from the smallest to an eleven foot tall red ogre pulling his own cart.

"Why aren't we stopping at the back?" Cloud questioned his brother.

"You're a nobleman now little brother. Lines like this don't exist for you." The fire haired boy said while leaning his direction and whispering.

"HALT!" The same voice as before. One guardsman in his dark red and black uniform stated while holding up a hand.

Sephiroth's black Chocobo came to a stop before the man and the noble stared down at him. The war hero's silver hair let off a strange gleam in the mid day sun as it spilled down his back and across his Chocobo's saddle. Regardless of what the man said Cloud doubted he could ever muster up the ability to look THAT dignified. Maybe he should grow his hair out like that too, perhaps that was part of the secret…

"Sephiroth Crescent seeks entry to Kaifeng. Stand aside." The man was most probably glaring and giving off the 'this is a waste of a noble's time' look.

The man stared at him for a moment until realization dawned on him. As if struck by some bolt of lightning the man bowed lowly and stated, "My apologies Lord Crescent, please come this way."

"I do not need you to guide me boy." The silver haired nobleman stated then nudged his chocobo's sides in a motion that Cloud had been told meant 'walk'. "You two, come." The man stated but did not turn. He knew instinctively that it was more for the guard than for their sake. The nobleman knew they weren't going to just stand there as he entered the city alone.

A turn to his older brother and the boy nodded his head for Cloud to go first_. 'I will go in first, followed by Lord Strife and then the fox. The guards will see this and take note of it. Every action you take, every word you speak from that point forth will be held for or against you. So do not screw up.'_ The man had told them a few days prior.

Doing much the same as Sephiroth Cloud nudged his Chocobo's sides and started forward slowly after silver haired nobleman. "Thank you sir, your diligence is much appreciated." He heard Aon state from behind them to the guard who Cloud could only guess was still watching them closely.

The wall Cloud would easily admit had been impressive from the outside. However, on the inside of the wall he had to forcibly stop his mouth from dropping open. Bustling about were Demons of every race he had ever seen not to mention a great many he hadn't. "Keep your eyes steady little brother. Don't gawk, lest you anger the Silver Menace." His brother could barely be heard over the din of the crowd.

So Cloud did his best to keep all he'd been taught over the last seven days in mind. Well… taught was an easy term for 'drilled into through repetition'. His eyes skimmed the crowd passing from person to person stall to stall as scents both heavenly and… not so much passed through his nostrils. Food the likes of which he had never seen before accosted his sense of taste though he could go nowhere near them. Saliva pooled in his mouth and Cloud swallowed as they continued on.

The buildings he noted were changing the closer to the Palace they moved. The styles moved from wooden, to the slate grey bricks, and then onto a strange style… he was unaccustomed to. Slate roofs over either wooden, or… perhaps clay walls. His brother chimed in to fill his brain with yet more information. Sometimes he wondered where the fire haired kitsune got all of his information, but of course… books.

"Kaifeng started out as a defensive position during Midgar's founding. The stylings of the city's center reflect the old ways. The farther out you move the more they take on newer designs. The nobles live towards the cities center at which sits the one time fort later made palace. Closer to the cities corners and edges are the places where the… less fortunate live." The fox went quiet as the so called 'silver haired menace' turned to face them.

Cloud smiled and could only guess Aon did the same. A boy ran up beside him and he glanced down to face him. He stared up with a partially toothless smile and held up a hand. Cloud… had no money lest he would have given some to the child in nothing more than rags. After all as the city's future Lord he would have more than enough to go around. He smiled warmly at the child, but continued on forlornly.

"Here you go kid." Aon's voice from behind once more sent relief through Cloud's body. His brother had what meager savings they had collected in order to get out of Allovoros when Cloud was old enough to work properly. It wasn't like anyone in that town was going to hire the two of them. They had a BIT of a reputation.

The trio arrived at the front gates of a large wall surrounding the palace after nearly an hour of navigating the streets. Cloud was convinced both himself and Aon would have been lost had they not been following the ever silent and black clad Sephiroth. His silver haired form was like a beacon through the crowd, and easy enough to follow even if a cart moved through a crossing and blocked he and his brother's path for a few moments.

The man at the gate before them seemed a bit more… highly dressed and decorated. The guardsman bowed low to Sephiroth without a word and moved out of the way. He apparently knew the man or of him without being told. His glance to the two of them who rode in directly after was both scrutinizing and intense.

When inside Cloud took in the wonder of the Palace full form. The… courtyard he believed it was called, took up enormous amounts of space; held three water fountains and lots of greenery. The entire thing was made from white paving stones that branched off through three smaller and wide open gates.

Sephiroth never dismounted and moved toward then through the right gate. A loud sound reverberated easily throughout the walled interior of the Palace grounds. "AAARRROOOOOOOO-OOOOO." A shiver of fear moved up… or was it down Cloud's spine.

The Palace's main guard was no Demon; he was a spirit wolf and Cloud's last 'test'. Sephiroth had stated to them on the first day that if the Spirit Wolf did not accept him then there was no chance of convincing the nobles to do so either. He would have to fight tooth and nail for every single drop of their respect and favor.

_'The beast was brought to the palace by the former Lord Tehranoa. Even with all his power and authority the creature did not always obey him. No amount of men or force have been able to remove the Spirit Beast from his current residence since the previous Lord's disappearance. As such, since you cannot force him out you will have to hope that he likes you… since he resides in the Lords Office most of the time.' _Sephiroth had said to them some days ago. Perhaps his memory was rather good since he remembered the majority of their conversations since leaving Allovoros. Now if only he could remember the Spirit Wolf's name.

Cloud's gaze moved slightly from one side to the next as he took in all that surrounded him. The palace grounds were many things, immaculately clean, beautifully cared for, and full of nobles to name a few. Each of the richly dressed men and women greeted Sephiroth as they walked by, but few garnered enough of the nobleman's attention to receive a reply. There was perhaps a reason for that, but as of the moment Cloud was unsure as to why.

The stables were just as grand as everything else they had passed. It had taken another three gates before they arrived and after dismounting Cloud's legs felt like jelly. He more or less held the saddle to keep himself upright. It was more 'dignified' than falling on his rear in front of all the stable hands that had gathered around them.

"Take all three to the stables, feed and water them, bring all of their things and mine to my room." Sephiroth commanded to the man who was probably in charge. A small flying imp holding a clip board and wearing a strange hat. As one of the attendants took the reins of Cloud's chocobo and bowed slightly to him, he smiled and wished that his 'crutch' wasn't being taken away.

Before the Chocobo's were moved more than ten feet away they went ballistic and bolted in every direction. Cloud's wild gaze followed the three birds before landing on the obvious source of the problem. Glaring at the three of them was a VERY large and apparently VERY angry white wolf.

Cloud swallowed as the Spirit Wolf slowly converged on their location as a low growl emanated from behind bared teeth. **'Be calm, and try not to show any fear.'** Cloud stated the words Sephiroth had told him in his mind.

When the wolf was nearly teen feet from them he paused, the bristled fur on his back lay down, and the menacing aura left him. The Spirit Beast let out an odd almost whining sound as his ears perked up and his head cocked to the side. **'What?'** Cloud questioned in his mind as the creature walked slowly closer and sniffed him.

The final string was a lick at his face and a strange wolfish grin. Did that mean he liked him… or he would like him for dinner? A clattering of wood reached Cloud's ear and the voice of the Imp from before followed. "Well I'll be an Ogre's chew toy. That's the first I've seen him like that in a good long time."

"I think he likes you." Aon stated from beside him. The wolf whirled to face the other person he apparently hadn't taken notice of before. The growling erupted from the Spirit wolfs throat as he moved between Cloud and his brother… protecting him?

The wolf's growling ceased as his head jerked back and cocked to the side once more… this time at a strange angle which then shifted to be cocked the other way. His ears which had lain flat once more perked up straight as his nose moved a few inches sniffing the air. A single large paw moved forward bringing the wolf that much closer to the kitsune. "No!" Aon stated while pointing a finger at the overtly huge white wolf. "No." he repeated.

As if ignoring Aon completely the Wolf let out a loud howl and leapt on him. Terror erupted throughout Cloud's body as he feared for the mauling his brother was getting by the wolfs… tongue?

"CLOUD! GET YOUR MUTT OFF M- EWW HIS TONGUE JUST WENT IN MY MOUT-AGAIN! GET OFF I DON'T LIKE DOG'S!" Aon shouted from below the white wolf which let out a low growl. "Err… sorry wolves." Aon fixed his statement like that was the reason he the creature's mood suddenly changed.

It worked… the wolf went back to licking Aon and nudging and sniffing him all over then licking his face again. "FENRIR! COME!" Cloud instructed to the Spirit Wolf. The creatures head perked up at the command then turned around to face him. It cocked to the side then leapt to its paws and bounded to him.

A single lick to his face was the greeting once more. Past the large wolf's body he noted Aon sitting up with his hair and clothes in disarray from Fenrir's love.

"I think he likes you," Cloud teased.

"Joy," The kitsune's said as his hand moved up to his face and with a look of disgust wiped the slobber away as best he could. "Maybe we should leash him." Aon stated which managed to get a whine from Fenrir.

Sephiroth finally decided to speak as those around them looked on with wonder, horror, and LOTS of interest. Spectacles like this apparently didn't happen too often. Slowly the Silver Haired noble for the second time since they had met took a knee before Cloud and bowed his head. "Welcome home My Lord Strife."

Like a bolt of lightning in a sea of grass that hadn't seen water in months; that single phrase started a wildfire in the courtyard around him. The War Hero had all but announced Cloud's new position as Lord of the Central Gate to all those in attendance.

Space…

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**AN2: **

So... who saw that character coming? While he IS technically an OC he's still from the FFVII universe. He adds fun to the writing and hopefully to the reading. Much as he is important to Cloud in the games and movies he is just as much so in this story... if not more.

I am trying to lean Cloud away from the 'sissy role' and you will take note of that as we go along. His personality hasn't been fleshed out much as of yet... though you may have taken note of a few major points.

**Fun Facts**

**Spirit Beasts:** Fenrir is a Spirit wolf. There is a very large difference between Demons and 'Spirits'. Spirits while very powerful cannot take human form by themselves. A Spirit beast can only take on a human like form when granted the ability by his/her master. This is done by a pact where the Master uses a portion of his/her magical power to grant the ability into the Spirit Beast's Soul. The Pact is broken by the death of the Master, or by a severance… the severance is complicated.

**Human Form:** As stated in the previous fact, the Human form can be taken by SPirit Beasts after a pact, or mid level power and up demons. This is a very complex issue… and explaining it would take a few paragraphs. Just note that Demon's don't all like humans (Some detest them with vehemence), and as such taking the form just because you can isn't always done. This ties back into Racial issues with one of the fun facts for next chapter. Look forward to it.

**Wingly's:** As requested here's a bit of Information on Wingly's. Aon mentioned a few things about their wings in chapter one, but he didn't go into any real detail. Any form of winged Demon is grouped together under the name 'wingly'. So, Dragon like Demons, Raven Demons, Crow Demons(not tengu), Hawk Demons; they are distinguished mainly by their wings. In 'Human' form their wings spread form their back upon command, when in 'animal' form they look like larger forms of whatever it is… like a really big hawk. Wingly's can pull their wings out at any time, and there are special holes in the backs of their clothes that allow that to happen. When they go back in it apparently reseals so only a scar remains. It all has to do with magic… and will be discussed more in depth later along with the wingly's history, how they became the 'top dogs' etc. You'll have to wait for that in the story though.


	6. Chapter Four

**_AN1: _** Yeah… this one's a bit late… whoops. I started to play a game… then watch an Anime(all 26ep)… then read a Manga, in the time I usually dedicate to writing. I blame their creators. If they weren't so good I would have already written this long before now. Of course… as soon as I get done with all those things… I have NO DESIRE whatsoever to write. I sat down and my mind zoned out like some… non writing zombie. So yeah… it's late.

I draw a lot of my inspiration from Manga, Books, and Anime so if you see them and want to comment on the fact I would love to see that I'm not just creepy in being the only one who reads, watches that Manga/Book/Anime.

I got the idea for Cloud to have a brother from a fanfic here (Snow days), and as I formulated the story I knew HE HAD TO HAVE ONE! Of course Aon became a lot more than simply his brother as things moved forward. Now they are REALLY close brothers… Actually the original Idea would have had them being twins… because twins would be fun to write I think. Sadly you have to put up with Aon's foxy goodness instead… don't you feel let down?

On a brighter note… you get to meet ANOTHER new character this chapter that'll be around quite often. He's someone you all know VERY well… some of you are attached to him so much it's a bit creepy. In most fanfic's I read I don't like the guy, but ehhh, maybe in my own writing I can come to appreciate his character like I do in SOME of those really good ones… and hopefully I don't screw him up… which would be worse. I could get swarmed by a bunch of angry fangirl's/guy's killed then kicked into a ditch somewhere… You can read to find out who it is o.o

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**_Disclaimer:_** I do not own Final Fantasy… This chapter has an angry Sephiroth…

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**_Reviewers: _Please note that I am open to ANY FORM of review! Criticism is highly appreciated. Cookies and cake are… accepted. **

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**_A _****_special thanks to anyone who reviews, favorites, or follows. Seeing those numbers go up and hearing your opinions always makes me want to keep writing!_**

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**Chapter Four**

**Master of Materia**

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It was a castle… that's what Cloud had learned on his second day of being here; Palace's weren't quite so fort like in their design. His destination in this enormous place was 'The Lord's Office'. Sephiroth had invited one of his colleagues over for instruction and set up the meeting place as Cloud's 'work place'. He hadn't actually started any real work just yet. Sephiroth was doing most of it, and forcing him to watch each decision then explaining it into tidbit details.

He was slated to take over the majority of his lordly duties two days before his 'unveiling' to the nobles nearly a month from now. Aon had said that it was a miracle 'the silver haired idiot' had managed to put them off that long. The war hero had also sealed the Castle off from letting most anyone in. From what Cloud had been able to gather, only those that actually WORKED in the castle were allowed entrance under VERY strict orders. The reason for this was his safety, or so he'd been told.

The swishing of cloth entered his ears as one of the castle help stopped and bowed lowly to him as he walked past. It was a male Demon as far as he could tell; though he knew not the race or what his duties could possibly be. There were… too many. He wasn't supposed to acknowledge them… that's what Sephiroth had said, but he still found himself doing so every once in a while. He had been worse off than them, and it was apparently part of their job to look like they were beneath him… he thought it was stupid. As soon as he got the chance and if it was possible he was getting rid of that rule.

So as Cloud walked by he inclined his head slightly to the bowed man though he couldn't be seen and continued on his way. Frankly, this place was as confusing as trying to figure out the inner workings of his brother's mind. The sheer magnitude of the task was rather frightening. So naturally as he came to a 'T' intersection he paused. Was he even in the right wing of the castle? He could swear this was the correct path, and if it was… he had to take a right at this point. Well, the worst thing to happen would be a late arrival. A slight shudder passed down his spine at the thought…. Actually, that was probably really bad. Sephiroth didn't like… not strong enough a word… Sephiroth LOATHED tardiness.

Perhaps he should turn about and go speak to the attendant he had passed. The man would surely know the way to The Lord's Office. His blue eyes gaze turned along with his head and focused on the spot where the man had been not so long ago. The only problem was… he was gone, naturally. Running a hand up and back through his hair Cloud glanced left then right once more. He should go with his instincts here. Right it was then.

So he continued down the tapestry, painting, carvings… actually who had this many decorations in the first place? Each one Looked like it would cost a small fortune to make. He had been looking over a great deal of them for the last two days in what small bit of free time he was given. He had hardly seen his brother at all since their arrival. What was Aon doing? Where had he been going? Why wasn't he always around? It was… unnerving Cloud would admit. His brother had ALWAYS been there as far back as his memory served. He didn't even remember their mother at all. Aon had told him all about her sure, but… he couldn't even really recall her face properly. All he remembered was LONG blonde hair and… maybe the outlines of a smile as she looked down at him.

So… without Aon around all he had was Sephiroth, and he still didn't really know the man; let alone trust him. The noble seemed strict, but concerned most of the time. _Is this the place?_ Cloud wondered as he stopped before a HUGE door set into the wall. Yeah… it looked like the right place. A hand instinctively moved up to knock, but paused midway. That's right… this was his office so he didn't have to knock on the door.

His hand settled on the ornate bronze handle and pulled the thing open with a strong tug. The door was made from solid three inch wood. Oak he'd been told it was called. A defensive feature to the lord's office, and it had a drop bar on the backside to stop others from entering. The whole castle had doors like this one in the single and double fashion. There were also rooms set up specifically for guards to use and patrol from. Most guards weren't allowed in this section right now per Sephiroth's orders…. Cloud hadn't been told why just yet. He had asked once before though, and the response had been 'I'll tell you soon enough'. Aon had stared at the man with anger filled narrowed golden eyes.

"I'm telling you, you can't just-" the voice of his brother cut off as the door he'd been opening creaked VERY loudly.

His first step inside was under the heavy gaze of his brother and their silver haired benefactor. "Am I late?" He asked as Aon's face softened and Sephiroth's took on a harder edge. They had been arguing again… obviously. The closed door was the only thing that had kept him from hearing it out in the hallway. "You're right on time little brother; it is Lord Crescent's friend who is late." Aon replied as he put emphasis on the fact that it was Sephiroth's friend who was in the wrong.

"That's… good." Cloud said as his eyes focused on Sephiroth. He had seen the office on numerous occasions' since his initial arrival, but the place was still dauntingly huge. There was a single large desk that looked to be as long as two of him (filled with papers) and a large chair behind it. Off to his right were two couches, a chair, and a small table. To his left was another large table this one around four foot tall, and apparently was meant to be stood around… it had maps covering it. Just to the left of that table was another smaller door that lead into a miniature library that was specifically for the Castle's Lord. He was told that most of the books were brought in by the previous Lord, Tehranoa. Aon had jokingly said that the place would go unused with Cloud as the castle's Lord… that wasn't true. He would use it!... just not often.

"My Lord we were just discussing certain matters of great import, and I need to check something." Sephiroth said as he took a step forward then another. His destination was obvious. "Please remove your shirt."

Cloud didn't manage to catch his facial expression in time and his eyes widened at the… request? No, he wasn't ASKING for Cloud to do so, he was demanding it. "Ummm…" Cloud said as he took a step back and Sephiroth… continued forward. "Ok." He said as he dodged a bit to the right and Sephiroth continued past then pulled the door shut.

After turning around the man's angry green eyes landed back on Aon who had taken his seat up on top of the desk; his legs dangling from the front and kicking nonchalantly. Cloud already had his long coat off and was dropping it to the clean carpet beneath him. The shirt was also easy to remove. Buttons were a simple yet effective apparatus. He had been given reign to dress as he wished, and so had copied his brother's clothing style. They seemed comfortable enough, though the laces on the front of the pants could be annoying when you REALLY had to go to the restroom. Pulling the shirt untucked he took out one arm then the next and let it fall to the floor as well. He felt… oddly naked as the only one without a shirt on.

At least he hadn't been told to drop his pants too… no wait… why would he be requested to do that? A quick blue eyes glance to the left showed Aon's face full of triumph and mirth, then back to the right and Sephiroth… were it possible seemed only angrier. "You…" The man bit back whatever he had planned to say next, and the definite sound of crackling knuckles came from the man's clenched left hand.

"You can't get rid of me so easily, my lord Crescent," Aon said in a rather snide manner.

_What is going on?_ Cloud questioned as his gaze moved from the fire haired Kitsune then back to the silver haired noble. Naturally his thoughts were next put into words. "What is going on?"

"You're…. brother, was pointing out the mark on your shoulder." The latter replied forcing the fury from his voice.

A blush reached Cloud's face as he glanced to his right arm at the marking. The tattoo he'd somehow gotten when they had stolen alcohol from one of the more prominent inn's three years ago. "It's a tattoo."

"Basically, basically a tattoo," Aon chimed in while raising a hand with one finger pointing to the ceiling. Ok… it's 'basically' a tattoo then. Cloud couldn't really remember… uhh most of that day or the following one. Aon had said that he slept the entire second.

"It's not a 'Tattoo'." The silver haired noble said, and glared at the kitsune on the desk who was still smiling like he'd just won. Which meant… he probably had. "It's a pact seal."

"A what?" Cloud questioned as his face took on a confused scrunched look.

"A pact seal little brother, it means we have a pact between us. I have a similar one on my left shoulder as well." Aon said though he didn't remove his shirt. He did… Cloud had seen it on more than one occasion.

A sigh escaped Sephiroth's throat as he spoke under his breath. Cloud caught the "how could I not have noticed t-" part.

"It's not simply any pact either." Sephiroth stated as he moved to the couch then smoothly took a seat. "You're brother, has forged the 'Lord of War' pact with you."

"How… do you seal a pact? And what is a 'Lord of War'." Cloud questioned though he had a feeling that either the pact was bad, or the act itself was bad.

"You have to speak a few words, and then have physical contact." The fire haired kitsune said then leapt off the desk and moved around towards the two large windows.

"What… kind of physical contact?" Cloud… didn't really want to know…

A sly smirk spread across his brother's lips as he turned back a round to face them both. "A kiss little brother. To seal a pact you have to kiss."

Cloud's eyes blinked a few times as the word 'kiss' moved through his mind again and again. "As in…"

"Yeah, on the lips!" Aon replied then of all things laughed. "You pretty much forced yourself on me claiming you didn't want us to ever be separated." Aon replied still in good spirits. That… must be one of the reasons Aon never talked much about the night they got drunk. No wait… if he could remember everything did that mean Aon didn't actually get drunk? His mind was going a mile a minute trying to wrap everything up into a nice, neat, and organized manner…. It wasn't working.

"So of all the pacts in existence you performed the 'Lord of War' pact?" Sephiroth decided to join back in… only confusing him more with this 'Lord of War' nonsense again. "How did you even know the incantation?"

"Well, that's a bit easier. Cloud," his brother began as he turned his golden eyed gaze from the silver haired noble and back to him. "You remember that book we stole, and I kept for a while?"

How could he possibly forget that dusty old thing? "Yes, I remember it rather well. You had your nose in it all the time till we got rid of it."

"That, was a pact book. I'll admit it. I was a bit tipsy that night… and that was the only one I could remember. Besides… 'Lord of War' sounds pretty cool." The kitsune finished with a nod.

"You were drunk, and it 'sounded pretty cool'." Sephiroth stated as his hand covered his eyes and he laughed a little… It probably wasn't a happy laugh. Something told Cloud this wasn't something the man was pleased with… it wasn't really hard to tell. Sephiroth only had a few settings. Angry, really angry, or I'm going to kill you angry. Currently he was in the middle setting, but Cloud thought it was leaning towards the last one pretty far by this point.

"Can I put my shirt back on now?" Cloud questioned, to which the Noble waved a dismissive hand. That meant yes, he had seen the gesture more than once. "So what's a 'Lord of War'?" The next question; it was the obvious one to ask at this point he figured.

"It means I'm in charge of your martial affairs, security of the city, things like that… let's say that it means I'm in charge of anything related to the military directly under your control. The only two people above me would be your advisor and you. While the pact didn't mean much when we were 'street kids' it means a LOT more now."

"That, would be an understatement." Sephiroth stated as he moved to his feet.

"So… if it's so bad, can't we just dissolve it?" Cloud questioned causing Sephiroth to glare at his brother… again.

"The only thing that can 'unseal' a pact seal is the death of one of the two parties. While it would please me greatly to…" The man stopped and sighed. "Unfortunately we cannot unseal the pact. Which means your brother takes the position by default. No one can truly argue otherwise." The jade eyes noble stated.

"Don't look so down Lord Crescent." Aon stated as his face took on a sour look. "I don't exactly like the idea much either. Well…" the fire haired kitsune smirked once more, "it'll have a few nice perks I'm sure."

"If you cannot prove you are worth the position I will FORCE you away from it in ANY way I can possible find." The man stated as he glared… more.

"So all I have to do is-" Aon was saying until he was cut off by the window behind him slamming open.

"Get down!" the Lord Crescent shouted and waved Cloud to a place behind him. The air outside was filled with the beating of wings, and a huge curved blade appeared in Sephiroth's hands as he moved slowly toward the newly opened window.

Black boots, black pants, and a red long coat took shape outside as the person slowly descended on ebon wings. Papers flew about the room as Cloud's heart thumped loudly in his chest. Were they under attack by someone? Was this the reason Sephiroth had been going on and on about his safety?

A surprise attack!

"You're late, Genesis." Sephiroth stated as the sword in his hands vanished slowly into nothingness and tension left his form.

The auburn haired wingly merely smirked as he came to a stop on the sill of the window. A single hand rested on the wall for balance as he spoke. "Late? You can't start without me, and therefore I am right on time."

Sephiroth's face deadpanned as he stared at the man in the window and papers which had been blowing around in a flurry settled slowly to the ground. "Come inside and close the window so we can finish here, and I can get back to work." The man stated and turned around to face Cloud.

"Fine… fine." The newcomer… Genesis apparently, stated and stepped lazily from the small ledge and into the room. Who was this man really? Sephiroth had stated that one of his colleagues was coming to assist in his training, though he hadn't been told exactly what part.

"So, which of the two is it? They both look wholly unimpressive, and one of them isn't wearing a shirt." The man stated which reminded Cloud of the strangely cold feeling surrounding his torso. A quick glance down and he gritted his teeth fighting back embarrassment. It wasn't like he NEEDED the shirt, but the way they man was speaking it was like he should be embarrassed about not having one on…. thus he was embarrassed.

Aon for his part burst into a small fit of laughter and pointed his way. "The one with no shirt would be Lord Strife. You're friend was having him strip just before you came."

The auburn haired newcomer glanced to the jade eyed wingly who was grimacing… (probably at the phrasing), then back to Cloud… who felt all the more naked as prying eyes looked him over more than the first time. A LOT MORE. This time, he didn't fight back the slight tinge that came to his cheeks. Rather, he walked slowly, purposefully, and in as lordly a manner as possible over to retrieve his discarded bits of clothing. "I appreciate the thought, but he's a bit too scrawny." The man remarked flippantly.

Aon was still laughing at his newfound plight… naturally.

"Now that we are all here, I can begin." Sephiroth said as he strode purposefully over to a small cabinet that Cloud noted held alcohol. Which he was too young to drink by three months! Not that anyone but Aon would actually know that. His brother wasn't TOO hard on the rules, but after their… experiences with the substance, he tended to keep it out of Cloud's reach as much as possible.

"Yes my friend, please tell me why I was called in from the capital on such short notice." Genesis requested as he took a small glass that Sephiroth had poured him and sloshed it around lightly in one hand.

"To put it as simply as possible; I need you to train the new Lord on Materia usage for the next month." A quick glance Aon's way and Sephiroth added something to the end. "And the Lord's adopted brother as well."

Genesis quirked an eyebrow lightly as he gazed at Cloud who was thankfully now fully clothed once more, though his shirt still wasn't tucked in. Standing out in the middle of everything he felt like the center of attention. From his days as a thief… he learned that he did not like to be the center of attention. It usually meant you were about to be caught and should hightail it out of there ASAP. "I would think that the Lord of the Central Gate would be a sufficiently powerful Materia user already."

Aon remained silent after hitching himself back up on the desk and dangle/kicking his feet before him. His gaze was steadily held onto the new arrival as his ears twitched lightly atop his head… and his tails lashed what few papers had remained on the desk around behind him.

"He is no-" Sephiroth began, but Cloud stepped in and overrode him.

"I am not a good Materia handler, but I have been told by many that my aptitude and abilities could surpass even yours and Sephiroth's." He pushed forward as his arms crossed on his chest. "As such Sephiroth deemed it necessary to bring in a suitable tutor," Cloud continued hoping that he was right on all accounts. It would make him seem a complete fool should he get anything wrong. Call it Wingly intuition.

The auburn haired wingly smirked before finally speaking… thankfully. After the short silence he was afraid the reaction may be different. "Very well Lord Strife," Genesis said and bowed slightly. That meant they were close in station. Sadly Sephiroth hadn't told him WHO exactly the man was. Aon… his glance shifted slightly to his brother sitting behind the man who was still staring at the wingly back contemplatively. Did that mean that the kitsune knew who the man was?

"Genesis Rhapsodos, The Phoenix of the East." Aon stated causing the wingly Noble to turn and face him for the first time since his initial entrance and room gazing. "Master of Materia, Sword Master, in the empire he is bested in Materia usage only by the War Hero Sephiroth himself."

"That has never been proven." The man stated hastily.

Aon merely smiled sinisterly as he cocked his head to the side a bit and continued to look the man dead in his eyes… or Cloud thought that's where he was looking. Genesis had his back turned to him at this point. "It seems that Lord Crescent does in fact have many powerful and influential friends."

"And you would be?" The man queried as his head moved up and down in silent observation of the fire haired kitsune.

Aon pushing himself neatly from the desk and took a slightly theatrical and elaborate bow before the high ranked nobleman. "My name, is Aonather Strife, the adopted brother of Lord Cloud Strife, and his Lord of War as we were discussing just before your rather grand entrance."

The two stared at one another for a few moments more before Sephiroth cleared his throat and drew the attention of all in attendance. "You can get to know each other later. If you would follow me to the area prepared specifically for the Lords training, I will be able to get SOME work done today." The man stated and gestured for them to move out the door. Though he said 'if' it was, once more, one of those questions that were actually commands.

Cloud was the first out, but it wasn't long before they were all standing in the hallways and Sephiroth was closing the door. "This way." The man stated and walked to the right. The auburn haired wingly followed immediately, but Aon hung back until Cloud was beside him.

"You did rather well in there little brother. You almost had ME believing you knew who he was and why he was here." The kitsune said as Cloud noted the lashing tails behind him. His brother wasn't happy about something that much was obvious. "You should know a few things since you decided to run your mouth off. The man, other than what I have already said aloud for your benefit has a few other… quirks. The most prominent is the reason he will never best our kidnapper. He is a half breed. His father was a high ranking and rather rich wingly, and his mother is a Spirit of Fire. The former being dead, and the later no longer around he run's his entire household from the capital. Women swoon for his temporary affection, and he has a strange rivalry with Lord Crescent. Other than that… you'll have to find out yourself. I don't know much more personally, and I didn't think today's guest would be someone of his… caliber."

"So he's a womanizer." Cloud said as he tried to register all of the information he'd taken in… and remember the direction they were going so he could get there on his own later.

"No… he probably just likes the attention he gets from everyone when he picks up and drops a new woman. I heard rumors all the way in Allovoros every once in a while."

"I see…" Cloud said as his gaze firmly planted on the two men's backs; or more specifically the two slits in their clothing around their shoulder blades. "How much longer do you think it is until Sephiroth finds out I'm… wingless." Cloud questioned in a whisper as hesitation entered his voice.

"You aren't wingless little brother, you just can't take yours out. You were supposed to have already told him that too." Aon said as a reassuring hand rested on his shoulder. "With his help you could actually manage to do it you know. Since you didn't have mother there to teach you and I'm not a wingly you haven't managed to do it yet; simple as that. Just ask for advice or something."

Sure… easy for him to say. He wasn't the one who had to see the strange mixture of disappointment and other emotions on the jade eyed wingly's face every time.

**()()()()()Transition()()()()()**

While Cloud thought on the many things that had happened recently Aon walked beside him in silence and the two wingly's chatted silently about something ahead of them. So it was to his great surprise to note that they had arrived… and that he had NO idea where they were.

The place was large, and quite spacious. The open air all around them had something to do with that he was sure. The only thing he could tell was that they were on one of the many open platformlike edges of the castle. Off to his right sat a small table with strange Silver bangles atop it and shining stones inlaid into them.

"I can tell from here that they are quite low class." Genesis stated before making his way over and grimacing. "This feels less like 'high aptitude' and more like his first baby step."

"You will find that the majority of the work will most probably be with the fox. Lord Strife should manage rather nicely." Sephiroth stated as he took his place beside the Auburn hair noble.

"Well then, I may as well take this opportunity to say something important." Aon started and pulled Cloud's full attention and the other two's… slightly. "I cannot use Materia."

Genesis dropped the bangle he was wearing then shook his head and turned around. "Every DEMON can use Materia fox."

"Unfortunately, I'm apparently the exception. There's a… kink, in my Mana outflow that prevents me from doing so. I also cannot use any of my Fox Magic… while we are on the subject."

"You are becoming more useless by the moment." Sephiroth stated rather coldly.

Cloud stepped in and spoke up trying to pull the limelight off of Aon's… deficiencies. (He's trying to defend him). "I can't pull out my wings!"

Aon's hand moved up to his face and he sighed then spoke lightly. "Not like that little brother."

"This is why you brought me here? For a young, inexperienced, wingless lord of the most attacked gate in all of Midgar, and His fox brother… a mere twin tails, that cannot use magic of any sort, and is strangely enough the Lord of War." Genesis questioned in a sardonic manner.

"Indeed." came Sephiroth's easy reply.

"You do need a lot more help than the letter suggested." Genesis stated as his arms crossed before him and he stared at Cloud and Aon once again.

"I have another friend coming over to assist in the Lord's Martial training. Since the Lord of War is quite clearly under qualified for the task the man will have to do what he can while he is free. It is unfortunate, but he has been delayed due to… unforeseen circumstances." Sephiroth stated.

Genesis all but snorted before speaking. "You mean his puppy got him into more trouble."

"Yes, that is what I meant." Sephiroth said as he apparently thought on something. "It will be another week before they arrive." Cloud could only wonder at what… and who this 'puppy' was. "I'm going back to work; if you need me send one of the help to fetch me, I'll be in 'The Advisors office'." The man said then walked smoothly from the area.

Genesis, without a word waved a dismissive hand… remarkably similar to the gesture Sephiroth always seemed to use. When the silver haired wingly was gone he spoke once more, "I suppose I should start with the absolute basics then."

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**AN2:** If you don't like the way I portrayed Genesis I NEED TO KNOW! I'm not exactly adept at characters like his. Any pointers on flaws in his personality or actions would greatly help me in keeping the story both interesting and the characters in line with the way they should be.

I try to be as realistic as possible in certain aspects. Most people may not have noticed it, but you never SAW genesis put the glass of alcohol down in the room before leaving. That's because the chapter is from Cloud's perspective and he didn't see it nor take note of it at a later time. Such things may occur randomly… it bothered me so I had to say something about it…

Truth be told… I didn't much like this chapter. That's one of the OTHER reason's it's late in coming… the first chapter I've ever missed a deadline on… it's rather sad to think about. (At least it's a long one…)

Sadly, no Fenrir this chapter… even though they were in his usual hang out spot 'The Lords Office'. Perhaps you will learn where he was next chapter… perhaps.

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**Fun Facts**

**Half Breeds:** Most of the Demon population is made up of half breeds(1/4, 1/3, etc Half breed is just a generic label). Half breeds are looked down upon in most cases as inferior to pure bloods. The more powerful Demon of the two partners has the most to do with their offspring's traits. That isn't to say that they are weaker by any means. Unions of different species can and as in Genesis's case may result in a very powerful Demon. No matter where they go in the Demon Society, they will never leave behind that brand(not a physical one).

**'Breeds':** Human-Demon, Demonrace1-Demonrace2, Demon-Spirit Beast, Demon – Element Spirit. (The last one is very very rare for various important reasons).

**Pacts/Seals/Covenants:** These types of magic are wholly different from Materia based magic. They sound much like what their names imply and come in many MANY different forms. The one between Aon and Cloud is just one such example while Spirit Beast's and their Masters is another. These are prominent in the story and some small detail will be given when a new one is introduced. Who invented these pacts and seals? You'll find that out as well… o.o look forward to it.

**The Three Offices:** There are three very important offices. 'The Lords Office', "The War Room', and 'The Advisors Office'. Each is assigned to one of the three 'in charge'. The Lord has both a Lord of War and an Advisor. Power goes **Gate LordAdvisorLord of War** The two below the Gate lord of course run their own parts, but that's the 'chain of command' so to speak. That's probably a little confusing… ehh. It get's explained to a degree later on.


	7. Chapter Five

**_AN1: _** Well, who's glad for an update? I believe I burned myself out a bit before, and this chapter was originally supposed to cover the entire week. Which means… like 10,000 words or more. Yeesh. It was beyond daunting… so I never really sat down to write until I finally gave in to that inner voice telling me to split up the chapter… also I couldn't take not writing anymore.

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**_Disclaimer:_** I do not own Final Fantasy… This chapter has a lot of Kitsune…

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**_Reviewers: _Please note that I am open to ANY FORM of review! Criticism is highly appreciated. Cookies and cake are… accepted. **

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**_A _****_special thanks to anyone who reviews, favorites, or follows. Seeing those numbers go up and hearing your opinions always makes me want to keep writing!_**

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**Chapter Five - A**

**You Have One Week**

**Six Day's until the replacement's arrival.**

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Kaifeng was a bustling city of great magnitude. No matter where he looked Aon couldn't help but be amazed at how different it was compared to what he was used to. As he took a bite of the small crème pastry he'd purchased just moments ago he looked right then left. This particular intersection was dumbfounding him. Kaifeng could be more than just confusing to move around in; even if you had access to the assortment of maps he'd gone over yesterday in the Lord of War's room.

The slight shifting of his hair was the tipoff that his ears twitched furiously atop his head. It was an annoying habit he just couldn't break. His little brother had noted it more than once, and it was apparently a dead giveaway for his thought processes. The destination his feet seemed inept at carrying him to, was a 'guild' of information brokers called the Turks.

They had at least a small post in every city in Midgar, or so they claimed. The tattoo on the back of his upper thigh signified him as one of their members. Easy enough to get in, but you never really got out. Cloud didn't know about anything, naturally. He had managed to steer his brother away from any and all criminal organizations so he wouldn't be tied down when they finally left Allovoros. Sadly, two kids can't get by in a town the size of Allovoros without help. The Turks had provided that when needed and he'd done a few services for them in return.

Before leaving the city he'd found out the names of a few guild members in Kaifeng, including the boss. His new… position, should afford him some leeway in dealing with the man. Especially since he SHOULDN'T yet know of his membership.

"Hurry up and get out of the road Kid!" Shouted a driver on one large cart as he cracked the whip driving his yellow chocobo's along. Aon complied as his feet carried him hastily from the road. His clothing didn't exactly give him away here. He was trying to stay 'middle class' in his choice of clothing. He'd turned down the silk with fancy flourishes, and exchanged them for a nice set of light cotton. A sleeveless dark blue shirt sat atop loose white breeches tucked into dull brown well worn boots. Naturally the outfit wasn't exactly his size. Sephiroth hadn't brought in that tailor yet so he and Cloud were stuck with a few of the clothes nobles and other visitors had left in the fortress castle. They served his current purpose rather nicely at least. He should manage to meet some standards of dress at the establishment he was destined for.

With a frustrated sigh Aon gave up his escapade and decided to seek the help of a local. Apparently his maps were useless with the city constantly growing and shifting. The district he was looking for apparently had been moved to another area; perhaps some temporary magistrate making it easier or harder to access in order to gain favor. Chances are that didn't work out so well for him or her.

"Excuse me, miss?" Aon asks as he reaches out and grasps at a passing female demon. Some form of half breed. If his nose was telling him right then it was a dog and some form of water demon… though the scales could be from any dry skinned lizard type as well.

The woman's natural response appeared to be jerking her shoulder from his grasp which he simply let go and waited for her to respond. "What?" She asked angrily as her green eyes roamed him.

"My apologies for distracting you; I was just hoping you might be able to point me in the direction of the… red tile district. I do appear to be lost on my first trip to…" Aon was stating until he was slapped. Well, that was rather rude.

"Creep," the woman said and huffed her way in another direction. Well THAT hadn't gotten him very far. He supposed it was up to the faithful shoe trick. That usually helped in his decision making process. While it seemed to work out for the best most times, it wasn't like you could stop to use it whenever the need arose.

Slowly slipping the brown boot from his foot he tossed it into the air and let it fall. The front of the boot was facing… mostly down the street to his right so that's the direction he'd be going. It helped that there was about a forty percent chance of it being the correct way in the first place.

His feet carried him from block to block after he'd replaced the boot. The smaller right hand wall of the city steadily came closer and closer until he finally saw what he was seeking. Red tiled roofs from four and five story buildings rose out above the singles and two's of smaller establishments and homes. The damn place was supposed to be closer to the castle. Must have been one of those conservative magistrates after all pushing the 'lowlifes' far and out of sight. He doubted it worked out so well since their buildings were so tall and stood out. In Midgar red tiled roofs were restricted to establishments of a more… carnal nature.

Now that he was here, it would be rather easy to find the location he sought. Turk establishment's had a certain marking to the left of the front door. It was a lot like the tattoo he had, but much more intricate. So, it was now time for yet another time consuming task to start. He'd have to check around 100 or so buildings until he found the correct one. Going to the tallest or most prosperous would be a foolish waste of time. The Turks were far from such an idiotic organization as to show their wealth and power by flashing them around to any and all. Their services were more and more exclusive the bigger the city became.

As he moved from door to door as casually as he possibly could he would occasionally stop and pretend to entertain the thought of entering one establishment or another. There were the call girls or guys out in the street. Some were VERY attractive, but looks weren't everything in Kaifeng. The richer clients would be looking for more than simply a good looking fuck partner. A half dressed younger male fox demon with very long blonde hair and what would pass as a middle aged Lamia approached him as he paused outside of their establishment. There was still no sign of the marking, and he'd checked over thirty buildings. It wasn't like it took only an hour to get here and he'd have to get back across the city to the castle before night fell, lest he be caught by more… unsavory types. It was one thing when you looked like one, and another when you looked like a target that had money and were lost.

"Hello there," the youthful kitsune said as he they both paused before him. A single tail type, which meant his power was weak. He had more than passable looks, but it wasn't Aon's reason for coming. The Lamia was also rather attractive. Their species held certain… lucrative traits, that enticed men and women both into their company.

"Hello," he replied as he glanced between the two admiring what he knew they would think he should be. While he could simply ASK about the Turks leader, it would be best if he arrived suddenly and unexpectedly. He didn't want to give the man any time to actually prepare for it. He was probably already aware of their arrival in the city not long ago. The spectacle with the damned dog had surely spread throughout the entirety of Kaifeng by this point. He'd had to use a worker entrance to get out earlier. Leaving by the front gate would have been simply impossible.

"I was- *grunt*," Aon started before something slammed into his side. He twisted and grasped at the scampering form of a youth around his own age. A red headed cat with a pony tail not too unlike the way he usually kept his own hair. The kid struggled as he fought to remove Aon's hand from the back of his loose vest. The kitsune's free arm snaked around and reached into the kid's pocket removing a small bag that looked so familiar it may as well be his… funny, since it was. While he gave the kid props for his rather clichéd approach, he'd simply picked the wrong target this time.

"The hell's your problem!" The kid stated rather than asked as he turned back around and glared at him with light blue cat slit eyes.

"Nothing, I was simply making sure of something." Aon replied as he fiddled the small black bag between his two hands. The cat boy glared at him something fierce then turned and stomped away. With a joyful and triumphant smirk he turned back around to look at the two who'd come to greet him. "Now, where were we? Ahh yes, I believe… you." He said and put an arm around the blonde kitsune's shoulders. "Were trying to pull me into your fine establishment, no?"

The younger kitsune smiled back at him. Aon felt slightly bad for the boy. He was right around Clouds age physically. If Aon guessed correctly His actual age was probably around twenty five or so. Demons didn't age like the short lived humans and certain traits stood out more than others as their lives progressed slowly towards their inevitable demise. With a bit of work and intuition, one could learn to tell the near age of most races on sight. Of course, Aon knew that you did what you had to in order to survive all too well.

Before the red head had bumped into him he'd been wondering about how to brush these two off. The only alteration made to his plan was a very small symbol he'd noted to the utmost top and left of their door. The thing would go unseen by MANY, even his eyes had nearly been tricked by the simple demon magic placed upon it.

"Perhaps next time my lady," Aon said and bowed his head lightly to the Lamia and the young kitsune lead him inside. The boy was chatty, annoyingly so, but he supposed it was one of his more redeeming sides. If nothing else it probably got him return customers of a sort. His voice was rather high still, but there were the hints of it deepening much as Clouds had started to do about a year and a half ago.

The boy led him up a single flight of stairs after getting a light nod from a well dressed man behind a counter. As he'd walked through the door pretending to be rather dumbstruck by a few things Aon took note of the various men and women occupying the place. Some were obviously the 'enforcers' of the place. Others appeared to be lounging patrons or workers. Whether they were simply so or not, had yet to be seen.

The second flight of stairs made Aon turn to the boy and cock an eyes brow. The blonde kitsune blushed lightly and Aon smirked approvingly. Apparently the one who had caught him was more in demand than others. This building was a three story and they were going straight to the top. The higher floors were dedicated to the higher end entertainers. He supposed this pretend trip was going to cost him more than he'd thought. Luckily it wasn't his money he was using.

The blonde kitsune slowly opened the first door on the left they came to and motioned him inside with a slight bowing of his head. Aon took the offer of entering the room first then stopped a few feet in. It was simple, yet beautifully decorated in a desert kingdom fashion. It held amenities he was quite used to, being a citizen of Allovoros. A light question of if the boy knew that or not clicked in the back of his mind as the door behind him closed.

"I have done all the talking thus far sir, and have yet to hear what you came all this way for." The boy said as he approached him placed an arm on his chest and pushed him lightly back onto a small chair. The swaying of the boy's tail and the light strut drew Aon's gaze in a way it probably shouldn't have. The boy's loose fitting stark white silk trousers seemed to be just at the verge of falling off yet never did. As if a small tug or nudge then he wouldn't be wearing a thing at all. As if to add to the… allure, the sides of the trousers were slashed open down to just above his knees where they were tied off with black silk ribbons. If he turned juuust right… you ALMOST caught sight of something… or your imagination made you think you did.

There was a very good reason Aon stayed away from establishments such as this as much as possible. The lightly tanned kitsune before him was one such reason.

"Drink?" The boy asked as Aon had yet to say anything to him since the initial decision outside the building. Even then it had been only a few words.

"Sake, please." He stated as a hand drifted up to stroke at his chin. Admiration of the young kitsune aside he was going to have to decide on a few things before actually meeting with the Turk boss of Kaifeng.

His mental state was easily shifted from the blonde for the few moments he had; to the task he'd actually come for. Sadly, the boy was better than he'd thought. Before he could actually go through any real thought process, the boy had sat lightly onto Aon's lap and offered him the small clay bowl. The kitsune was light and apparently knew what he was doing when he sat down. There wasn't the slightest hint of discomfort, and the light swaying of his tail on Aon's leg could just barely be felt through the cotton cloth.

Taking the small cup Aon nodded his thanks and downed it quickly. "Might I ask, what sort of services you were looking to receive?" The boy asked again as he turned his head and took hold of the small jug of sake he'd brought with him from the counter. Aon took note of the long eyelashes… real or fake? He would entertain them as real for the sake of what he wished them to be.

The fire haired kitsune's free right hand reached up around the boy's face and turned it back to him so that golden eyes stared into one another. The hand slowly brushed blonde hair back over the kitsune's shoulder then up and scratched lightly behind his ears. The boy's head leaned into it as a small smile spread across his face. Aon had to wonder if that was a real smile or fake. Slowly he pulled the boy's face closer to him, then at the last moment, moved up and breathed lightly into his golden left ear causing it to twitch.

"I'm here, to see Tseng." He whispered lightly then let the kitsune's head go as his hand fell back to the resting position it had originally held.

The boy smiled ruefully at him and spoke, "I see. Very well. Please give me a moment sir." Lightly and gracefully the blonde extricated himself from the position on Aon's lap. The fire haired kitsune would give him credit for one thing. That eye catching light sway of his tail and strut never left the blonde as he walked to, then out the door. He would definitely have to tip the pure blood well. Sitting lightly up he extracted the black bag from the pocket it was placed in and opened it.

Confusion was the first thing to pass across his features, then a light anger, which was followed lastly by joy, and laughter. Ohh this was good. That cat had been VERY good. He was short three gold pieces. Naturally the whole bag held only ten, and the weight difference was a pittance. However, Aon DID pride himself almost as high on his ability to judge things as he did his intellect. Not noticing the difference in weight was his own fault. He'd had a few of his coins nicked. It was so funny he was still laughing when the blonde boy returned to the room a few minutes later.

"My lord strife, please come this way." The blonde stated and motioned for him to follow. Well… he supposed he'd already been discovered after all. A light sigh escaped his lips as he pushed himself up from the chair and followed the kitsune out of the room. He'd lost the element of apparent surprise, though it would explain how he'd managed to get a prize like the blonde so quickly. It wasn't natural he supposed to send a top floorer down to the streets to pick up guests unless you were doing really bad, or they were very important.

"Thank you," Aon stated to the boy as he stopped outside a door and opened it for him. The third floor also held the Kaifeng Turks head's personal quarters it seemed. The boy nodded and after Aon walked in closed the door behind him.

"Aonather Strife, it's nice to meet a man of your standing so soon after he enters the city." The voice of a single man stated from a relaxing looking chair at the back of the room. Other than him there was a dark skinned bald man, and a blonde female. They were in the shadows and the incense burning was throwing off his ability to determine anything by smell. What those two were he'd only be able to guess at. The man in the middle though, he was an easy type to identify. After all, what kind of fox demon would he be if he couldn't identify his own specie's?

It made sense he supposed. After all, it truly would take a fox to run an operation like this. You certainly couldn't trust a dog or wolf demon to run this organization in a city the size of Kaifeng. They lacked the intelligence, wit, and cunning the job required. "The pleasure is mine." He said and bowed lightly to the man who motioned for him to take a seat at in one of the three chairs before him. "Thank you," he stated and took the one on the right.

The black haired kitsune's hands interlocked on his lap as he continued. "While I would offer you more hospitality, I've been informed you already received a bit from one of our entertainers." The man stated and motioned back towards the door. The same one he'd probably sent to greet Aon…

"Indeed, it was quite an unexpectedly pleasant greeting. The sake was good as well." He stated as he leaned back into the chair and got as comfortable as possible. He did hope the pleasantries would be over with soon. One if not both of the other two watching sent a shiver up his spine. Perhaps one was a natural predator?

"I do hate to rush things as we've just met, but you have come here for a reason, yes Lord Strife?" The man stated and asked to which Aon smiled. Good, the man was prompt. While perhaps not as much as the blonde; he found that he liked the raven haired kitsune already.

"That's fine, I do have other tasks that need doing after this." Aon stated as he sat forward and pulled a small crushed paper scroll from the small pocket inside of his coat. "I need all of the information that I've requested on this list compiled before my return the day after tomorrow. Please do not open it now, you may state your price when I return. I prefer to skip the negotiation games before you have a more accurate figure." The fire haired Kitsune stated as his ears twitched atop his head. Nerves? Not a chance, he was just trying to make sure he didn't screw anything up. He had to appear JUST right, give off JUST the right amount of pomp, and say JUST the right words. It was actually very tiring. Like trying not to make a sound while nicking greens from the mouth of the chocobo eating them. Not an easy task by any means.

"I see," the fox said as his dark eyes latched onto the scroll laying on the table before him. "Very well Lord Strife. I look forward to our next meeting." The raven haired kitsune nodded and Aon stood to leave.

"Actually… there are two more things I want you to look into. On the way here, a rather crafty thief managed to make off with some coins of mine. I would like for you to let me meet him. He stands about yay hi," he said as he motioned to around his mouth. "A red headed cat boy, with a ponytail that falls to his mid back. Quick fingers and… some form of markings under his sky blue eyes. The second, I would like Lord Crescent to be made aware of my visit to this district… rather anonymously. He probably has me under some light surveillance, but I may have slipped away from them on the way here."

The man said nothing for nearly a minute as if thinking the matters over. Aon was about to speak up when the man finally said something. "Very well, I will make sure I have him here when you return the day after tomorrow then. And consider Lord Crescent already aware of your presence here. "

"Thank you." Aon bowed lightly and said then turned and headed for the door.

"And Lord Strife," the raven haired fox called; to which Aon turned back to face him. "Next time you come, please do put on something to cover that odor. You have a distinct almost dead smell floating about you." The man said and Aon eyes him for a moment then nodded.

"Of course. I will make sure to do so." He finished and walked out the opening. When it closed behind him his eyes narrowed in thought, but he brushed it back away and glanced to the slightly ajar door he'd followed the blonde into when he first arrived.

A smile split his lips as he made his way quietly to the room and peered inside. The golden haired kitsune was sitting back in a relaxed manner with a smile on his face humming a light tune. Aon watched for a few moments in thought. While he DID have other things to do it didn't mean he couldn't stay for a short while, right? A few small bowls of sake in pleasant company couldn't… A mental sigh and Aon shook his head. No he really WAS far too busy. The coin pouch was quickly removed as he left two gold pieces at the opening. Good service required a good tip. It wasn't like the Central Gates Coffers were going to miss the two he sacrificed here.

With that finished he was finally on his way down the stairs past the enforcers, patrons, and workers. The street was bustling now compared to nearly a half hour before. It WAS later in the day… His next destination would be more difficult. He could only hope to make it back to the castle before dark. Getting in would be a nightmare afterwards.

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**AN2:** Who likes or dislikes the blonde Kitsune? I actually would like to know. Drop me a PM or however you want me to know as it's the first REAL look at the more carnal side of any character in the story.

I also would like to know what most of you would like to see as far as races go on the 'main characters'. Anyone who has yet to appear is still technically a tossup, while I have most pretty much nailed down I fear they will be too similar. Good suggestions, and if you give me a reason it would/could sway me to your side. PM only on this one please…

On the Lamia… it's the snakelike tongue in case you didn't guess. Just a note, this is a strange mingling of brothels and other such places. I'll put everything together as best I can, but depending on the building and clientele each one will have varying degrees of what the 'workers' will and will not do.

**Fun Facts**

**Clan/Guild/Syndicate:** Depending on where you are in Midgar the name could be anyone of the three. In Kaifeng as you have noted they are called Clans. Basically they are just powerful criminal organizations. They are by no means to be mistaken for petty gangs. They wield influence in many areas and your closest friends/maid/butler/family member could be a member and you don't know it.

**Guilds:** These are not to be mistaken for the nefarious kinds of guilds in most cases. There are SOME Guilds whose influence grew so large that they fell into crime. Thus the Guild name in the previous Fun Fact. Guilds come in as many varieties as there are professions. Kaifeng has a great many of them including bounty hunters, chefs, smiths, merchants, Mercenaries etc. It's basically a gathering of people in the same profession under a single organization so they can influence things… easy enough yes?

**Relations:** These are Demons in a world completely separate from ours. While the human system is SORT of like our own, it's not all the same. Thus the Demon society looks at relations in strange and varying lights. In most cases the demons age slower, but still go… active at the same general age as Humans. That of course depends on the race etc, this can lead to 'younger looking' demons engaging in not so PG-13 acts. They also don't have restrictions as far as gender, race differences are more likely to come up than a couple's gender similarities. Lastly, quantity. This varies again from one race to the next. Wingly's are more likely to stick to single partners for life, while other races like the cat demon may go after more than one partner at once or not have problems with their partner having multiple partners.


	8. Chapter Five - B

**_AN1: _** I waited a few days after writing this to post it. the last part was a lot nicer when I wrote it than it was now. Seemed a bit... ehh, not really sure how to describe it. Either way, I enjoyed writing it and hope you enjoy reading it.

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**_Disclaimer:_** I do not own Final Fantasy… This chapter has a playful moment…

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**_Reviewers: _Please note that I am open to ANY FORM of review! Criticism is highly appreciated. Cookies and cake are… accepted. **

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**_A _****_special thanks to anyone who reviews, favorites, or follows. Seeing those numbers go up and hearing your opinions always makes me want to keep writing!_**

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**Chapter Five - B**

**You Have One Week**

**Five & Four Days Until the Replacements Arrival**

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**Five Day's until the replacement's arrival.**

Midday sunlight streamed past the black opened curtains shedding light throughout the large office. Sitting at the desk and staring at one piece of parchment, was a silver haired wingly war hero. The look on his face even when alone was a complete mask to his thoughts and feelings. Or rather, it should be. The parchment he was staring at and re-reading for the fourth time was simply ludicrous.

It hadn't even been a week… not one week, and that blasted fox was spending the money in the treasury on… WHORES! Information had come down what little of a line he still retained in this city. The boy had slipped either by accident or on purpose, form the tail Sephiroth had placed on him when he left the Castle grounds the day before.

A single pale hand moved up to rub at sore temples. Things were stacking up far too quickly for him to have to worry about his Lord's brother going wild in the city, spending money frivolously, and worrying the Lord away from what he should be concentrating on. Angeal couldn't get here soon enough as far as he was concerned.

With the fox not having any real reason to be there, perhaps he could find a way to make him leave peacefully; Lord of War pact seal or not. If he could not, then it would probably take some act of one of the guardians to separate the bad influence from his Lords side.

The parchment slipped easily from his fingers as he looked at the amount of money the fox had spent in town the day before; at the amount of money he'd managed to get from the treasury with his Lord of War seal. Ten Gold Pieces was far from a small amount. Did the boy truly not understand the actions he was taking? Had the malnutrition he'd suffered for years messed with his foolish Kitsune brain?

No… he probably had every idea what he was doing. So if that was the case, then the question sat at why? Why would the fox go to a whore house in the red tile district? Why so soon after their arrival when he knew he was being monitored closely? The issue presently required far too much time to think about. He still needed to check on his Lords progress with genesis, fight back the noble's demands to see the Lord before the allotted date nearly a month from now, and arrange for Angeal's arrival four and a half day's hence. No, he had not the time to worry over every action the Kitsune did. He would have to try to ignore the twin tails until Angeal arrived and reeled his actions in. How long could the fire haired fox stand the talk of honor before he snapped?

A light knock echoed at the half opened door, "Come in." Sephiroth said while hiding how tired he actually was from his voice.

"Lord Crescent, Lord Rhapsodos is requesting your presence." Good, that at least made it look like he wasn't constantly worrying that his friend was underperforming. His hand waved the female attendant away and he organized the papers on his desk before standing up and heading for the door.

On the way by he paused before the tall stand mirror to be sure he was presentable enough to walk around the Castle. The black clothing he wore conformed easily to his body, the pants were relatively loose by his own standards, the shirt held a deep V neckline and had a few ruffles at the sleeves, around the collar and along the V. His hair was tied back in a pony tail; which prevented the hand that constantly ran through his hair to mess it up. Frankly speaking, it was the frustration that drug the hand there. He was dealing with the nearly insurmountable problems the city seemed to have taken on with the absence of a proper lord.

The many gang's and Guilds with nefarious actions had grown in both size and number without a proper hand to keep them held back. The finances were in a complete disarray due to the constantly changing magistrates and their varying policies. The city was falling apart at the seams, there were reports of corruption amongst the guards, and every wall INCLUDING the one leading into human lands needed severe repair work. The nobles were constantly trying to get into the Castle for various supposedly good reasons. Sometimes he felt that he should simply move his work out to the gate; then sit there with Masamune leaning against the edge of the hardwood desk just to scare them away.

The hallways were thankfully empty as per his instructions. Very few guards were permitted into this wing of the castle. Information was being VERY tightly controlled due to the Lord's unpreparedness. If anyone so much as saw his current ability or state then the nobles would storm the castle in force demanding answers. He saw not why? If nothing else a Lord they thought they could control would undoubtedly be better for them.

Sephiroth's long strides had quickly taken him to the door leading to the training area which he'd allotted to the task. There was no point higher where one could see Lord Strife at practice. Yet another precaution he'd been forced to take. The size and exterior walling were also ample enough that he would not simply fall off the edge. A wingless Lord indeed, he had yet to get a handle on that situation either. A pity, he could only put it off for so long before the month was up.

Shortly after Sephiroth exited the door he took note of Genesis standing off to the side with his arms crossed watching the Lord cast spell after spell. The red leather clad wingly had the boy shifting from one type of Materia to the next in rapid succession. Sephiroth had managed to attain enough low leveled Materia for the boy to practice with. With any real luck they would grow stronger as he did over the course of what was left of the month.

He stopped beside genesis and watched for a moment before finally speaking. "The fox, was spending money in the red tile district yesterday."

As if it were the simplest thing to accept his friend questioned him, "do you know which one? I stop over every time I come to the city. The quality of some of the entertainers in Kaifeng is top grade. Depending on the establishment they could give the capital's top Brothels a run for their money." The Auburn haired Dual breed stated while watching the lord call upon his magic once more.

Sephiroth didn't always have to agree with his friend's choice in… past times, but perhaps he could acquire a bit of something from this one. "If I got you a name, what could you tell me of the establishment?"

A smirk crossed Genesis' face as he turned form the matter at hand to look Sephiroth in the eyes. "Depending on the boy's taste, quite a bit."

"I will see what I can dig up." The War hero stated with a sigh. He didn't like the man's smirk, it didn't sit right with him. He had a feeling the wingly was misconstruing something in his mind.

The Materia in his Lords hand failed and Sephiroth Grimaced. "He isn't making much progress."

At that Genesis turned to face him with a bland look. "Not everyone has my ability with Materia. Lord Strife is doing extremely well considering he started barely two days ago." A side note was thrown in just before Sephiroth could speak, "In great part due to my being his teacher."

"He needs to be doing more than quite well in a month's time genesis. He needs to make the Nobles truly understand that he is the one for this job."

"He'll be ready on my end long before then. However, from what I've seen he may have a bit of trouble with Angeal. While his previous life may have been difficult, the malnutrition has caused a stunt in his growth. His muscles aren't developed as well as he'll need, and he's a bit shorter than he should be. We can only hope he manages to put on at least a few more inches before reaching his peak."

"Indeed." Sephiroth commented as The Lord strife while dripping with sweat from all the exertion of using magic paused for a short breather. "I'll see that he eats much better in the coming days. If all goes well, then he'll be in better shape when Angeal gets here with his puppy." The silver haired noble finished and turned to leave.

"Sephiroth," Genesis stated from behind him causing the War Hero to pause. "Don't work yourself too hard. While you may be you, you cannot do everything. Take a break every once in a while. "

"I'll take a break when time allows," Sephiroth replied which was followed by a light snort from behind. Before he moved through the small door, Genesis's voice calmly addressed the Lord on some portion of what he was doing wrong.

**()()()()()Transition()()()()()**

**Four Day's until the replacement's arrival.**

The city lights gleamed and twinkled before the golden eyes of the kitsune as he sat on the roof of the balcony outside of the Lord of War's office. A bottle of Sake and three bowls sat out to his right side. Two of them were turned over and the Sake they had held was still drying on the balcony's roof. The third was empty once again, but for only a moment. The loud howl of The Lords War Wolf echoed through the city as it had for nearly a century lending an eerie yet relaxing twist to the night.

The day hadn't exactly gone as he'd wished it to. The meeting with the Turks had been painful in a nonphysical way. Two Hundred gold pieces indeed; the information was certainly going to be hard to acquire, especially with the time restriction he'd placed on it. While he'd agreed to the local Turk Leaders terms, it wasn't as if he really had a choice in the matter. His plan HAD to be completed in time lest he give the silver haired kidnapper reason to evict him or keep him from Cloud's side.

He was sure the thought had passed through the man's mind at least once every hour since their meeting. He was simply an encumbrance to his brother in the man's eyes. Aon could tell by the looks he received and the way the silver haired nobles eyes settled on him occasionally.

Well, truth be told, he was probably just mad due to two things not going his way today. Tseng hadn't been able to deliver the cat boy to him this time, though he had promised to have him prepared for his next visit. Aon did not like the possibilities that held, the Turks 'not being able to do something' was most probably a lie. If only he had the time or a way to track the cat down on his own then he would leave out the scheming middle man.

Second, was the lack of his meeting with the Single tailed blonde form the day before. He'd been stuck with the Lamia this time, while not a bad thing in the least; it wasn't the person he'd wanted to serve him a drink while he waited. It was a slight his direction from Tseng most likely. He would take every blow the man gave him, so long as he got what he needed in the timeframe required. He could always return whenever he wanted later.

The rest of the day had been dusty, muggy, and tiring. He had been stalking the locations of the many city gangs and guilds. He needed to get a feel for them; tomorrow he would stop by the Turks building in the Red Tile district then move on to the second stage of his plan, the hardest part by far.

A click reached Aon's ears and they perked up as the footsteps echoed outside. "Aon? Are you here?" It was Cloud. He tried and failed to keep the happy wagging tails behind him steady, damned involuntary movements. The Kitsune hadn't seen him nearly as much as he wanted to since their arrival; too much to do… not enough time. Golden eyes closed as he threw the question of whether to reply or not around in his mind.

"Out here Little brother," he finally decided after a few moments of hesitation. The blonde was probably getting anxious; the thought alone brought a smirk to his lips. The sound of Cloud tripping over something in his office only turned the smirk into a smile. There wasn't any light on, and the place was littered with all sorts of materials he'd gathered since his arrival. The reason for his argument with the Silver terror a few days ago had been his moving into the Lord of War's chambers rather quickly. An argument he'd won! That could only last so long.

"Ouch, out where? I don't see you." The wingly commented from directly below him.

"Up here, move to your right, there's a small ledge that leads to another two and finally lets you up to where I am." Aon replied as he turned the two other Sake bowls over and stacked them under his own. Best not to let Cloud get any ideas. The last thing he wanted was for his brother to get a little tipsy and take a long fall off the roof.

"This is, annoying." The little blonde replied as his spikes popped into view. "How did you find this place?" he questioned as he pulled himself up the rest of the way.

"There was a note in the desk; left by my predecessor no doubt." Aon replied and motioned the boy over to him. "Why'd you come to see me on this fine cloudless night?" Aon enjoyed the pun quite a bit.

His brother didn't seem to pick up on it though… as usual. As the blonde wingly took his seat next to him Aon smirked, threw an arm around the boy, and pulled him close. After wrinkling his nose he retracted the arm and pushed the boy away a bit. "You smell horrible, you know that right?"

"Thanks," Cloud replied dryly as he pushed lightly back at Aon. Apparently he was afraid Aon would fall. That was comical in so many ways. To think a genius of his caliber would lose his balance at a light push.

"So, why has his Great Lord Cloud Strife come to see his Lord of War?" Aon questioned, to which Cloud's nose crinkled.

"Stop it with the titles. You know I don't like it when you call me that." The boy replied and fell silent as he looked out over the city at night.

"Holds a strangely serene sense of beauty, no?" Aon questioned the blonde after a few moments had passed.

"Yeah," Cloud said as he continued to watch in silence. Aon poured himself another small bowl of Sake then started on it.

A quick glance at the movement from the corner of sky blue eyes and Aon smiled. "Not just yet little brother. I would hate for you to try to fly before you actually knew how." The fire haired kitsune teased.

"Tchh, I wouldn't do that!" His brother said and leaned back on the roof.

"You still haven't replied to my question yet." Aon started. "Why have you come to see a lonely roof sitting fox?"

Cloud's words were mumbles as he turned over to face the other way. "I just… haven't seen you much over the last few days." Heh, score one for Kitsune intelligence… well, for his anyways. His brother was so easy to read.

"You missed me did you?" he said as he poked his brothers side playfully. An elbow covered the spot and Aon poked him again in another spot as he smiled. "Ehh? Ehh?" He questioned as each ehh was followed by a poke.

"Yeah I DI-," Cloud said while angrily sitting quickly up and turning to face him. He was cut off by a hand over his mouth as Aon's ears perked up and he looked around warily.

"Did you hear that?" the kitsune questioned as his hand fell lightly from his brother's lips. The blonde looked around him then shook his head.

"I think it was…" Aon stated as both hands reached just the right spot. "An attacker!" his hand grabbed hold of his bothers sides and danced up and down them.

The boy burst into laughter as he tried in vain to fight off Aon's attack. "Stop it Aon!" He shouted as his hands clamped down onto his sides pinning the kitsune's hands momentarily, only to have them freed to wreak havoc on him moments later.

He bucked forward and Aon stopped to gag. "Augh, you really need to bathe. Not sure how I never noticed how bad you could smell sometimes." The kitsune said as he waved a hand under his nose.

"Well, I've been working really…" The boy trailed off and stared at him… Aon didn't like that look in the least. Especially the smile that split the boy's lips a few moments later.

What was he scheming?

Suddenly Aon was on his back as the boy moved quicker than the kitsune thought possible. His face was buried into the shirt covering Cloud's chest and he gagged. "Othffth! Geffth Offth!" he cried from below the blonde. This was a horrible torture he was being put through! He couldn't breathe for fear of sucking in the air that immediately surrounded 'Lord Strife'.

Said Lord, was busy laughing maniacally above him. Aon wrapped his legs around the boys waist, twisted the unsuspecting blonde over to his back and pinned him beneath him. Aon sat up sucking in precious air while straddling the boy to keep him down. "You crazy little." Aon said as he attacked once more with lithe fingers.

Cloud fought back in vain in his new position. For the time being Aon still bested him easily enough in terms of strength and physical ability. By the time it was over, Aon's hands hurt and the two lay back side by side staring up at the sky. "*pant*I think you broke one of my fingers *pant*." Aon said from his position.

"I think I kicked your Sake off the roof... and you deserve both it if I did!" Cloud replied before panting himself. All told the struggle had lasted for at least five minutes before his brother surrendered… naturally. Aon ALWAYS won.

"It's ok… I didn't pay for it, technically you did." Aon teased before settling in to regain his lost breath along with the blonde.

It wasn't too long after Cloud managed to do so and spoke again. "You don't come to see me anymore." Aon sighed and closed his eyes. His brother was much too attached to him… he had known it before they left. While he couldn't nor wouldn't complain, it was simply not a good thing, at least for LORD STRIFE. On THAT point he agreed with the Silver terror.

Golden eyes took on a sad phase as he stared at the moon above them. Like it or not, he would eventually become just what Sephiroth saw him as… a burden. It would only be a matter of time before most of what he was hiding came to light. He could only hope and pray to each of the five guardians that the day was long and far from now. Sephiroth, regardless of if he liked the man - which he didn't, he was going to have to find a way to tie the ebon winged noble to his brother permanently.

Cloud was long and far from being strong enough to perform his job alone. If the nobles were anything like in the time of Tehranoa, then his brother's life would be at stake before much longer. Aon physically lacked the ability to protect him… he needed someone like Sephiroth to do so in his place.

"Aon?" Cloud questioned snapping the kitsune from his daze.

"Yeah, sorry about that; I've been… busy, with a few things." The twin tails replied as his ears drooped.

"Like what?" The wingly all but demanded. He seemed angry… it happened when Aon didn't tell him things sometimes.

"Secret things." Aon teased trying to avoid the subject as best he could. He didn't want Cloud involved or worrying about anything. This was Aon's problem to solve.

"Aon!" Cloud exclaimed then sat up and looked over at him with those sky blues. His own golden orbs stared back until he closed them and looked away.

"Sorry little brother, but I can't tell you… you'll find out soon enough." he replied to his disapproving wingly lord.

"And if I… Ordered you to tell me?" The blonde replied hesitantly. Aon's eyes widened and he was glad he'd been turned to face the other way. He bit at his lower lip and spoke up.

"Sorry, your orders don't work on me yet. You are not in fact the Lord of the Castle until you take the seat before the nobles in a few weeks time." Yes! Loophole! He was a genius!

"Aon…" Cloud said again… the boy did say his name too often.

"No means no little brother." He said as he sat up and turned to face him. "Now come on, you need to go to bed lest you collapse during your rigorous training tomorrow." Aon finished as he gathered the thankfully still in place Sake cup-bowls.

"Hey! You can sleep with me tonight!" His brother stated happily. Eeeyagh…. That wasn't a good idea. While he hadn't yet adjusted to resting properly in a bed alone, or in the giant chair or other furniture of his office, he was TRYING to at least. If he went back to the same bed with Cloud he may never break that habit. The one of needing someone next to him when he tried to sleep, their warmth. His bed always seemed too cold.

"Sorry I don't sleep with stinky people anymore." He teased as his feet touched down on the first minor ledge next to the roof.

"I can take a bath before I go!" Cloud exclaimed. He was surely going to try to get information out of him… or stay up talking. Aon had to find a way out of this… even if he didn't really want to.

"I do believe your unpacted advisor would have a few choice words to see you entwined in my arms when he comes to wake you in the morning. Or has he started to send in the maid brigade?" Aon stated then questioned with a smile… which then left at the thought of the maids ogling his brother and getting funny ideas of enticing the boy to raise their station.

There had been more than once case of a woman trying to sleep their way up the ranks in a city like Allovoros. Actually… if the woman was foolish enough to do such a thing Aon had a feeling the silver haired menace would let them take a short walk off a high place. Just another maid slipping during her cleaning duties; accidents happened, no?

"Who cares what Sephiroth thinks about that?" The blonde inquired as they both landed on the balcony proper. Aon looked over the smashed Sake bottle and grimaced… the thing was probably expensive. The Sake surely was. Alas, the setbacks of horseplay.

"Sephiroth does." Aon said as he picked his way through the mounds of books he'd brought to the room from the library proper since his arrival. He'd just taken them… he hadn't had a chance to actually go through any of them just yet. Too much work… ugh, work. He preferred the days of looking for his food. At least it was less stressful… no… Cloud was safer here, so it wasn't as stressful on that front… yet. Sending his brother out alone to 'nick' something was REALLY stressful. The boy had been good, but the nagging feeling in the back of his mind never went away until he was safely back at their little nook of a home.

"Come on!" The boy said pleadingly. What was he? A body pillow?

As he reached the door Aon turned back to face the silhouette of his brother in the moonlight. "Last time! And you have to wash REALLY good!" he said while holding up a finger.

"Right!" The blonde exclaimed triumphantly. Tchh, he wasn't supposed to just give in! Where were his hard lined whip cracking tendencies when he needed them? Well, with any luck he would get to anger their silver haired abductor. Ahh, the look on the man's face may actually make it worth putting up with the nagging, disapproving looks, scolding, perhaps yelling, and finally the later sulking Cloud.

Space…

Space…

**AN2:** I was going to make the four days till section the two days till section, but then the three days till section wouldn't be as good… This whole week's a nightmare to arrange and write; once it's over you'll get to read from Cloud's perspective again. Until then, you have to suffer through my version of Sephiroth and Aon. *points and laughs*

I'll admit it… I'm better at writing Aon and Cloud than the others… well, I've never really written from Zack's perspective. When the puppy arrives things look to turn into lots of fun. *evil smile*

Originally all of Chapter Five was going to be told from Aon's perspective, but changing perspective with the days seemed fun… so I went with that instead. I'm not even going to attempt to put in a chapter from Gen's perspective yet; especially since I haven't gotten back into things.

How was my Sephiroth this time? Good? Bad? Just plain wrong?

I would love to hear your speculations as to what is happening in the story regardless of where we are. Any time you feel like it please send me a PM. I love to hear from the readers… all 7 million of you *wishes*.

Space...

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**Fun Facts**

**The Turks:** While they may have served Shinra in the FFVII games, in this story they are one of the strongest 'guilds' in Midgar. They serve mainly as information brokers, though their interest spread to other areas such as, very select types of drugs, 'the red tile district', the trade of Slave's and indentured servants, Body guards, and assassinations. They dabble in quite a few 'underground' areas. They mainly deal in the information trade; it's their bread and butter so to speak. The others 'sections' of their business are dependent upon location. They have a 'main branch' in the largest cities of the four provinces and the 'central branch' is in the capital city itself. You officially met the leader of the Eastern Province last chapter.

**The Eastern Province:** The lands of the eastern Province are dominated by the great Central eastern Desert. The only real economy the place has is the trade driven by its connection to the Human lands. Kaifeng is its largest city, but not its 'capital'. The capital city of the eastern Province lies in an enormous Oasis situated around the halfway point between Kaifeng and Midgar. Travel through the desert can be harsh for some, and as such, many travelers from the north or south simply follow the multitude of city's that are situated in the open plains along Midgar's great eight gated wall. ALL traffic INTO the kingdom of Midgar comes through the central gate… no exceptions.

**The Price of War:** Kaifeng was the second largest city population wise in all of Midgar… before the humans torched it fifty years ago. Old Population – 324,000… the humans killed a lot of 'demon heathens'… well, the fires did anyways. Afterwards, between the destruction of the city, and the seriously decreased trade with humans, Kaifeng's population plummeted more so. In order to survive many left the city or turned to crime during the decade immediately following. GANGS (not guilds), still hold the city in a terrifying grasp even now as no magistrate has had the will power or ability to push them out. Kaifeng, without any real leadership outside of those occasional Magistrate's sent from the capital, has been unable to fully recover since Princess Aria's death.

I'll be going back and changing the population stated in the prologue from 123,000 to the new figure of 263,000. This will happen as I edit the old chapters… soon. Until then, now you know.


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